The Good, the bad and the ugly
by Sophiepicklegirl
Summary: The roller coaster ride that is S & R. Ranger gets sent on a suicide mission - what will happen? Morelli bashing but gets his own HEA. Lots of action, some hot smut, plenty of angst. If you don't like slash, avoid 'India'. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**The good the bad and the ugly**

It had been three months since Joe and I had got together and started to act like grownups. No more running away from our problems, no more screaming and yelling – well not as much anyway. Things were going great. He'd been promoted to department head and I was getting used to the idea of a more stable relationship. We'd even talked about moving me into Slater Street permanently. Bet that surprises you doesn't it!

Thanksgiving and Christmas had been fun and we'd even spent pleasant time at the Morelli table. Angela seemed to accept me more and more and Grandma Bella hadn't given me the eye for ages. Life was good.

Almost.

Joe and I had agreed to disagree about my job. I still did it and rolled in garbage and tackled naked men with boring regularity, but he'd made me promise to get trained. Which I was starting to do. I now run every day (except when it snows) so I'm less wheezy when I finally catch my faster skips.

I hadn't blown anything up for ages (not that it was ever my fault, you know!) and no-one had sent me any messages or gifts of 'love'. Life was good.

Almost.

So, what was the problem?

Did you need to ask?

Ranger.

Currently he was working at his Miami office and although we talked periodically – mainly when I needed help – oops – he was keeping his distance and I missed him.

I missed the stolen kisses and innuendo. I missed his calming influence and I missed his smell. Ok, so I missed lots more but I'm a good guilt-ridden Catholic girl and I know I'll go to Hell if I tell you what else I missed. Mainly though, I missed his friendship or whatever it was we had.

Not that Morelli was bothered if I never saw him again, but I was.

Anyway, shall we continue.

o0o0o0o0o

Two days later...

The sun streamed in through the window and I suddenly felt a strong hand caress my shoulders and move down my back to my ass. Almost immediately this sensation was followed by a large, warm 'wooden' implement being thrust between my legs. Morning Glory. Oh boy!

"Morning Cupcake" Joe moaned throatily.

Yum. I love my morning wakeup calls...

o0o0o0o0o

Quite sometime later we both surfaced from the shower where we'd finished our daily ritual. Did I say ritual?! Yep, every morning we woke in a similar fashion and depending on how much time there was we either played slow and soft or fast and dirty. All good to me.

As I finished getting my hair tamed I trotted down stairs to see Joe finishing a call. "Little early to be calling you, isn't it?" I asked.

Joe turned to me with a silly look on his face. He didn't know whether to be happy or sad. The look confused me.

"Cupcake, how would you feel if we moved away?"

I gulped. "Moved away? How far?"

My face must have shown the panic that was building up inside me. Little did Joe know that it was the fear of leaving a certain Cuban man that made me feel this way. What if I didn't get to say goodbye? What if I never saw him again? Crap!

Joe took pity and pulled me into his arms "Let's talk about this tonight when I've got some more information. I've been put forward to head up a whole division just north of New York. It would be a massive step up and it's everything I've ever wanted. Let's not jump to conclusions though, I still need to be interviewed, it may not ever happen. Can we talk about it tonight though?"

I noticed he didn't mention me as being all he'd ever wanted. He must have realised his omission because he continued "it's all I've ever wanted as long as it's with you."

With that he upped and left for the day.

I had a lot to think about.

o0o0o0o0o

I pulled into the car park by the office and found a space not too far away from the door. Grabbing the bag of donuts and the tray of coffees I'd just bought I ran inside to avoid the rain that was pelting down. I made it in without getting too wet and was greeted by a very unhappy Connie and Lula.

"What's this that you're moving?" Lula spat at me in full rhino mode, hands on her very ample hips. I noticed she was wearing bright green spandex and the full package was a little daunting to say the least. I shrank back slightly.

Crap! Joe and I had only been talking about it 45 minutes earlier. How does the news travel so fast? Is his house bugged for Chrissake?!

"Before you give yourself a heart attack, Joe only got a call about it less than an hour ago. We haven't even had time to discuss it. How come you know about it already?" I asked, looking surprised and puzzled at the same time.

"Eddie found out from Big Dog last night who told Shirley and she told Moira..."

"Enough!" I said putting my hands up to slow her down and slumping into the fake leather sofa, trying not to drop my precious cargo. Connie had walked round her desk by this time and had taken the coffees and donuts out of my hands and plopped them onto her desk. Her previous venomous look was replaced with something softer – thank God.

Vinnie chose that moment to stick his head round the door "you can't leave until I find a replacement so you will need to give me at least 3 months notice if you decide to quit. Check your contract." He gave me a hard stare before slamming the door shut and locking it loudly, obviously not a happy camper. Yeesh.

"Joe doesn't even know what the odds on him getting the job are so we're going to talk about it tonight. Ok guys? I promise you'll be first to know if anything happens. Honest."

I'm not sure if the girls believed me but hey, even if Joe got the job was I prepared to march off leaving my life behind me?

We sat silently munching the sugary goodness from the donut bag and drinking our coffees as we watched the rain pour down onto the tarmac. I was mesmerised by its pattern and had fallen into a bit of a trance when Tank and Bobby came in to pick up some files. Connie reached down and picked up a pile of buff coloured files from the floor and passed them over whilst nodding in my direction "someone might be moving to New York if Joe gets the job he's going for."

Tank stopped and looked at me, quizzically. "Thanks, Connie" I said glaring at her "he only found out that he's in the running this morning and everyone is already convinced we're leaving. You'd miss the excitement." I said, trying to raise the mood of the place. Everyone looked at me as if I'd produced an eggy fart in a lift.

Tank said a few words to Lula before analysing me and walking out with a thoughtful look on his face.

"If you see Ranger, tell him I'd like to talk to him." I said to Bobby's back.

The door shut quietly and all hell broke loose.

"You can't leave, White Girl. We need you. Hell, even Vinnie would miss you. Please tell me you'll think about it before throwing us out your life." Lula scooped me up and began to sob loudly. "What about Ranger? I know he still loves you. Tank still thinks he's mad to have let you go back to Officer Hottie".

Connie was nodding in agreement with everything she said. She had a tear in her eye which she pretended was a stray eyelash and began to fish it out.

o0o0o0o0o

"Hi Honey, I'm home!" I yelled as I walked into Joe's silent house. Bob came bowling round the corner and nearly ran me over. I stepped out of the way and he went skidding down the hall, stopping just short of the front door. "Hey, Big Fella" I said affectionately as he came back, I rubbed the top of his head between his ears. He jumped up on his back legs and tried to cover my face in slobber. So not going there. I pushed him down gently and headed into the kitchen to put some coffee on. I grabbed his lead and led him out of the back door and we set off at a brisk pace so that he could mark his territory. Luckily I'd thought to pick up a pile of plastic nappy sacks as we exited the house as he seemed determined to empty at least his body weight onto the pavement. Lovely.

We arrived home to the smell of pizza. Joe had set himself up in the lounge and was munching on a large slice of sumptuous greasy goodness. "Hi, Cupcake, I stopped at Pinos - I've put the rest in the oven – I wasn't sure how long you'd be."

"Thanks." I shot back and went into the kitchen following the smell to the oven.

Five minutes later all three of us were set up in the lounge. Bob had scarfed his portion down in seconds. I guess he'd created loads of space following our little walk. Joe and I were still eating when he turned to look at me with a mouth full of pizza.

"What?" I asked, grinning. I could guess where his thoughts were going – to the bedroom judging by the twin pools of liquid chocolate that were looking me up and down.

I needed to know what had happened about the job so quickly changed the subject.

"So, what did you learn about the New York job?" I started, making it clear that we were going nowhere until we'd have our little chat. Aren't I grown up, huh?

"Ah" he started, rubbing his hand across his chin. "Looks like there'll be no interview."

"Oh, Joe, I'm sorry" I said as I patted him on the forearm. I really was. I knew he'd been looking at the long term for a while now and he'd been spurred on by his recent promotion. Inside I did a mental happy dance. I could return to the Land of Den...

"You've got it all wrong. There's no interview because the job's already mine! It would appear that I've been head hunted for a new role that's been created in a new division. If I want the job I start in two weeks." He looked at me carefully with a huge grin on his face, judging my reaction to the news.

"Wow" is all I could say.

"I've got to go up on Wednesday to meet the start up team and make a final decision. I'd really like you to come with me, let your spidey sense give it the once over. It's just as much for you as for me."

I knew he was trying to be nice. He would gain everything he'd ever wanted. A huge promotion. And me all to himself. We could stop and have a family...

But I'd have to stop being a bounty hunter AND I'd have to pretty much sever my ties to all the people that I loved, including Ranger. Could I do that?

"Wow" I said again.

"Please say you'll at least consider it. Please Cupcake. Please?"

How could I refuse? Three pleases in the same sentence. How could I refuse?

"OK." I said grinning, even though my heart was flipping about and I felt sick to my core. "When you put it like that. I'll think about it." We finished eating and went upstairs to celebrate his news.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all your reviews. Keep them coming. Hope you're enjoying this as much as I am enjoying writing it!**

The next morning I got up before Joe and threw on my running gear. There was too much going on in my mind so no 'ritual' this morning. No Sirree, I didn't need the distraction.

I wandered downstairs. Could I do this? Was I ready to give up my life in Trenton? Yep, it sucked a lot of the time, but I'd made my life here and bits of it were very good. I had friends here. But Joe was my future, wasn't he? I needed to grow up, be a big girl, didn't I? But what about my friendship with Ranger – we'd shared one night of heaven – did I mean anything to him?

So many questions ran around in my head.

I went for a run so that I could have some thinking time. When I got back I'd made my decision. I couldn't wait for Ranger to give me something I knew would never come. I had to move on. Maybe this was just the kick I needed. But good God, it frightened me.

o0o0o0o0o

"So, what do you think?" Joe said as we headed back to Trenton. It had been a long and interesting day. I'd gotten my head round the job. From what I'd been allowed access to it was too good an opportunity to miss out on. Even I could see that. The guys at the top really wanted Joe and I knew why. He was the right guy in the right place at the right time. Couldn't ask for more, I reckoned. This move would be good for him and I needed to encourage him. It was a big step but one that was inevitable.

Joe was so excited. I was plain scared. He was a good guy, a great cop, well respected and the job suited him to a tee. He'd learn to fly and I for one wasn't going to hold him back.

But us? I knew I loved Joe – I probably did from the moment just before he took my virginity all those years ago. I knew we could make it. Probably. Wasn't that enough?

Time to see...

o0o0o0o0o

"Vinnie" I said waving at Connie as I passed, before walking into his office which for some reason was looking remarkably clean. I shuddered to think what had been going on to need this much of a tidy up. "Joe's taken the job and I'm going to join him so I'm giving you three months' notice. He leaves in two days and I want to join him asap."

He lifted his head from the pile of paperwork in front of him. Hey, that was new. I thought only Joe and Ranger did paperwork. I thought Vinnie only used his computer to look at porn. Guess I was wrong.

"No can do, cuz. Manoso's got a big contract on and so I need you to cover some of his medium to high end skips as he's moved men off bond enforcement. You can leave after that. I reckon that's about four months away."

"Four months?" I protested rolling my eyes. "I can't wait four months!"

"You're going to have to. That's the quickest I can let you go. You do know you originally signed on for a 6 month notice period don't you? I'm trying to be reasonable here." With that he waved his hand at me motioning for me to leave. Thoughts of killing him there and then ran through my head but at that moment the hairs on the back of my neck rose. Ranger had walked in.

I shot Vinnie a look of pure hate and went to storm out. "Quick word before you leave, please Babe" Ranger said, catching me by my arm. How could I refuse, he'd used the p word.

I slumped down onto the sofa seething. Connie looked at me sadly. She'd heard every word I'd said. "I thought you'd at least have told me before you quit" she said quietly.

"I'm sorry" I said, sliding further down on the fake leather. "I needed to tell him before I changed my mind. This whole thing scares me. What if it doesn't work out? You know my history with Morelli. You've seen what we've done to each other. I'm taking a huge gamble and it's freaking me out. I didn't think. I'm sorry." I lowered my head to my chest so that she couldn't see my face. I felt like a rabbit stuck in the head lights. Not sure which way to turn.

She was round the front of her desk and holding me tightly before I realised. God, it's good to have friends. Was I doing the right thing? I really honestly hoped so.

Ranger came out of Vinnie's office a few minutes later. Connie was back to filing her nails and I was looking out of the window, nursing a cup of brown sludge, er sorry coffee. I was lost in my own thoughts - how was it that I'd had to park miles away and yet Ranger's SUV was in the closest parking slot to the building? Life was just not fair.

"Babe, outside?" he asked, motioning me to follow him.

He led me into the alley and pressed me back against the wall. "Is this what _you_ want?" he asked emphasising the 'you' as he pulled my face up so that he could look into my eyes. He was running hs finger gently across my jaw line. I was starting to lose focus.

I took a deep breath and tried to move away "I don't know" I replied truthfully, scanning his deep brown ones, looking for something, anything, that told me that he loved me and that he wanted our 'someday'. Give me a sign, you bastard I silently willed.

He placed a soft and gentle kiss on my mouth "No can do, I'm sorry, Babe." Regret in his voice. "Please be careful and true to yourself" he said quietly before looking deeply into my eyes one more time then slipping away.

Damn him and his ESP!

I stood in the shadows crying silently with my eyes closed and my head leant backwards, one foot braced against the wall. My fists were tight and I smacked them back against the wall repeatedly. Each time harder than the last until Lula gently pulled me away and back into the office.

o0o0o0o0o

"Joe" I whined "I can't get away for another four months. Vinnie has released me two months early from my contract but originally I agreed to a 6 month notice period."

"Not to worry, Cupcake" he said, squeezing my hand. "It'll give me a chance to get some digs organised for us and for me to get a grip on this job without any 'distractions'" he grinned at me, clearly amused at my whining.

"Come on, let's go and tell your parents the news." We were parked outside my parents' house. I gulped as I opened the door and stepped out of the car, looking up to see my mother and Grandma Mazur standing on the front porch waiting for us. They'd assumed their usual position – arms folded, heads slightly tipped to the side. Matching sentinels at the door to their domain. Why do they have the ability to sense me as I turned onto their road? Ranger was the only one who could possibly know I was close, wasn't he? Don't think about him, I hissed to mental self. Steeling myself up for our impending dinner engagement I took Joe's hand and strode up the front path, forced smile on my face, pulling him behind me.

o0o0o0o0o

"That went well" Joe said smirking. I stared at him, rolling my eyes. His sarcasm was not lost on me.

Grandma had offered to check out the cops Joe would be working with, after reaching for a quick grope which Joe had managed to avoid - luckily. Albert had set fire to the table cloth (again – don't ask...) Mum had mentally ironed everything I was wearing and Dad had studiously ignored everyone after the incident with the gravy which had somehow managed to end up on the ceiling – bloody horses is all I will say. The final straw was when the dessert got ruined. Mum had put far too much rum into custard for the steamed toffee sponge cake and she'd slid under the table whilst crossing herself so fast I thought her arm was about to fall off. Joe had to help my father pull her up again.

God, I was going to miss my family.

Not.

Ok so I lie, but it helps make the separation easier. Mental note to self, ask Valerie how she coped with moving so far away.

o0o0o0o0o

After a long and gentle night of passion and love making, Joe left to go to New York. I had four months of being on my own before I could join him. These were going to be the longest months of my life.

o0o0o0o0o

My first job, I found out when I went into the Bonds office on Monday morning was to help interview my replacement...

"Ok" I said, pulling back my shoulders and picking up the pile of applications that Connie had slid across the desk at me. "I know what I'm looking for, right?"

"These are the short listed ones. I've done a quick search on them all and picked out seven that I think have a little bit of potential" Connie said, sighing. She didn't look confident.

I knew she was sad that I was chucking in my life in Trenton all for Joe, but she also knew I was as stubborn as hell so hadn't argued. I was grateful for small mercies. Lula had stopped talking to me unless she had to. Things in the office were tense, to say the least. Luckily for me she was out getting a small time FTA called Barry White (yeah, really) a small and wily nasty drunk back into the system. I would have loved for her to have been my replacement but Vinnie had nearly had a heart attack when I suggested it so, back to the four options in front of me I thought.

I had considered asking Ranger for help but as he was avoiding me I didn't think it was fair to ask him. I did consider giving the job to the least attractive candidate and asking Manoso to train them. Now that's an idea... nah, that would have been childish wouldn't it? Actually I did seriously consider it, but only for about an hour...

Anyway, I digress.

I looked through the candidates but couldn't really make an informed opinion about which we should interview so I suggested to Connie that we look at all seven. I wasn't confident either.

And so it began:

"So, why do you think you would make it as a Bond Enforcement Agent?"

"Because I know the criminal mind, after all I've seen enough Cracker episodes to be able to think like them..."

...

"So, why do you think you would make it as a Bond Enforcement Agent?"

"I'm big and strong and can put a cap in anyone's ass..."

...

"So, why do you think you would make it as a Bond Enforcement Agent?"

"I love big cars and leather..."

...

"So, why do you think you would make it as a Bond Enforcement Agent?"

"I don't know really, I just enjoy the thrill of the chase and know that sooner or later the FTA will make a mistake. I plan to learn enough about each case so that I could be in the right place at the right time to apprehend them. I'm also a patient man and know that preparation is the key."

Finally...

o0o0o0o0o

"That's it, I think we have our Steph replacement" Connie said looking relieved. I had to agree. Lionel Williams seemed to fit the bill completely. In depth searches showed nothing untoward and so the next morning the 27 year old, 6' 1" ginger haired stick insect from Portsmouth England was officially hired as my replacement.

He had moved over three years earlier when he was a computer geek. Two months ago he'd been made redundant and he took it as a sign to move into something new. He'd taken his time to decide on what to do and felt that bond enforcement was about as far away from computing as you could get. It still allowed him access to information though so it worked well with what he knew. Additionally, he had a green belt in karate and wanted build on it. Made perfect sense. He was happy, so were we and I could start to mentally remove myself from Trenton. Boy oh boy.

o0o0o0o0o

Joe rented a room in a house full of cops. Actually five including Joe. I wasn't too happy as there were two female cops but they seemed nice enough. One called Aly seemed a little quirky to put it mildy. She was 28, short – maybe 5' 2" or thereabouts, slim and scarily gothic but with a big heart and a weird taste in music. The other Dana was moving out in a couple of weeks and in with her girlfriend. I didn't feel threatened by either of them. Dana's replacement was going to be a man called Thomas – I'm not snooping, honest. Just making sure that's all. I know I can trust Joe. Well I think I can trust him. No, don't be silly, of course I can! Ok so I admit it, my spidey senses are tingling, but that's all it is, a tingle.

Anyway, I'm going up to see him at the weekend to see how he's settling in. Yippee!!!

o0o0o0o0o

Actually, I'm not going up to see Joe, his boss needs to go through a few things and feels the weekend would be quiet enough for them to work uninterrupted.

It's Ok though, I speak to him every day at least twice, often more and the phone sex, well, let's just say it helps scratch an itch.

o0o0o0o0o

Monday came around again (with any luck time would continue at its break-neck speed and I'd be moved in with Joe in the blink of an eye. I did miss him. A lot. Honest.

I sauntered into the Bonds Office where Vinnie was yelling at Connie. She was studiously ignoring him. Way to go girl. He huffed, waved his arms and stamped back into his office, slamming the door behind him.

"What was all that about?" I asked.

"He wants Lionel to go out on his own today and pick up Candice Kaplinski. I told Vinnie she'd eat him for breakfast and then feed him to her pet snake. He couldn't see the problem so I decided to ignore him."

"Why is it that the men of this fair town seem to think they run the place?" I said.

"Beats me" Connie replied shrugging her shoulders.

At that moment Lionel walked in. He'd managed to park two cars down from the office. How did he manage that? I'd had to park 3 miles away – well it seemed like that in the heat of the morning smog. The parking Gods must hate me as much as the Car Gods, I muttered to myself. Connie looked at me questioningly. I shook my head at her before gently ushering Lionel towards the coffee machine.

"First things first" I said "Let's get breakfast started.

Two hours later and a box of donuts down we left to apprehend our first fine and upstanding member of society...

o0o0o0o0o

Why is it that I'm always the one covered in garbage?! Ranger and Joe seemed to avoid it and now Lionel had. Maybe the Dumpster Gods hated me too? We parked in the car park at the police station and pulled William Montgomery out of the back of my latest POS. A snot green Civic – hey, at least this one had all four wheels and an engine which was highly debatable in some of the cars I'd owned.

Eddie was walking into the building as we left, having booked Montgomery in. He smiled broadly at us. "Care to introduce me?" he said looking pointedly at Lionel.

"Sorry Eddie, this is Lionel. Lionel this is Eddie Gazarra, one of Trenton's finest cop. He's also sorta related to me."

The two men shook hands and stood looking at each other.

"What Steph failed to mention is that I'm training up to be her replacement. I'm afraid I'm not too sure I've got the rolling in rubbish bit quite off pat yet. May have to work on that one." Eddie laughed at his comment. I just rolled my eyes and headed off towards the car.

"See you around, Steph" Eddie said as he waved and entered the building.

The rest of the day was quite uneventful and I could see that Connie and I had picked the right man for the job. I was a happy bunny as I stripped off for a long overdue soak in my bath. I took my phone with me, leaving it on a chair I'd purposely brought into the tiny space to sit it on. Joe called a few minutes later and we updated each other on our day.

I went to bed that night a happy woman. Only three months and three weeks to go.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch 3

It was a long and hot week. Ranger was back from wherever he'd been hiding, er, I mean working. Surely he's not been avoiding me? Obviously I've not been avoiding him. Yeah, right.

OK so we're both behaving like children. Takes one to know one I reckon. Internal note to self, stop mentally sticking my tongue out every time I think of how we're behaving.

Anyway, I digress again.

Lionel was starting to get the hang of things. He pulled in Mooner on his own and only had to watch one hour of Star Trek first. Turns out he likes it anyway – he says it's big in the UK so he knows the characters well. Apparently.

Lula and I had a big heart to heart over a bottle of Tequila and we both promised to stay friends forever – distance notwithstanding. I'm not sure the hangover the next day was a good thing though.

Mary Lou and Connie started taking photos. They thought I hadn't noticed but it seemed to make them happy and I knew I would need the memories they would give me.

o0o0o0o

Friday night came round again so quickly and I left just after lunch so that I would avoid rush hour traffic. Even so it took me just over four and a half hours to get to Joe's house but I was so excited to see him it felt a lot longer.

I phoned him when I was a few minutes away.

"Joe?"

"Hey, Cupcake! Where are you?"

"Few minutes away - warm the boys up for me, I'm planning on giving them a welcome they won't forget in a hurry." I made a kissy kissy sound down the phone and Joe laughed loudly. God I'd missed that laugh.

Joe met me at the door and swung me round in his embrace before putting me down and planting a bone searing kiss on my lips. We walked in through the door, hand in hand, Joe leading holding my duffle bag, me following behind. He turned left and up some stairs and then into a large, bright bedroom. It had a small ensuite with a large walk-in shower and toilet but no bath. "Bath's down the hall if you need a soak" Joe said grinning and raising an eyebrow. What is it that I'm the only one in my relationships that can't lift one eyebrow at a time? Even the Dick could do it. Surely it wasn't that difficult?

After some great 'haven't seen you for ages' sex and a shower with yet more sex (how many orgasms before your bones turn to jelly – not sure, but we got pretty close to it) we headed downstairs to the kitchen for a midnight snack. The beast had growled a few times as we'd stepped into the shower but food had had to wait as my hair looked like I'd had several rounds with a hedge and the hedge had won. No way I was meeting his housemates again until I looked a little less 'just fucked' either.

Joe grinned at me and reached in for another searing kiss while we waited for our cheese on toast.

"Get a room!" Aly yelled as she walked past the door and we pulled apart slightly, laughing, holding hands, foreheads touching.

o0o0o0o

"Fancy a tour of the area?" Joe asked as we finished our breakfast the next morning. "Perhaps we could look at some apartments too."

"Great idea" I replied.

"Good, I've got a whole pile lined up so let's head off." I laughed. Life was sooo good. Joe and I were meant for this.

Much much later we returned to Joe's digs weary and fed up. Not one of the apartments we looked at met our needs. How difficult is it to find one that was reasonably spacious, light and bright and ready to move into in the right area? Impossible, apparently.

We had a lovely time with his housemates that evening eating pizza and drinking beer. Dana had moved out and Thomas hadn't moved in but was due to arrive in a couple of days. I asked Aly if she felt out numbered she muttered something about her evenings being too quiet but didn't enlarge and the subject moved onto sports, especially ice hockey. Joe looked relaxed and I took this as an invitation to chill and snuggled into him, dozing quietly as he played with my hair. My spidey senses were still tingling though and I couldn't wait to get Joe out of those digs and into our own apartment.

Everything would be OK then.

We spent Sunday catching up with our physical needs and suddenly it was time for me to leave.

o0o0o0o0o

Over the next month we followed a similar pattern. Joe worked really hard at getting his feet under the table at work. The hours didn't seem as excessive as they'd been in his previous job in Trenton so when I finally got there hopefully I'd see more of him than had previously been the case.

I spent my days skip chasing. With Rangeman busy on its other business I didn't see much of Ranger or his Merry Men, although Lula filled me in as much as possible from what she picked up from Tank.

I had dinner with my parents and the Morelli's once a week so that we could update each other on how things were going. In other words, life in Trenton just continued.

Each weekend Joe and I spent our days looking for somewhere to live and our evenings with his housemates or making love. Most of the time we were on our own, but somehow Aly was always in the background. It didn't really bother me, but she didn't seem to have anywhere else to go but Joe pointed out that she was new to the area too so was low on social options. She seemed like a great girl, although a bit strange, but hey, who was I to judge?

o0o0o0o0o

"Hi Cupcake, something's come up at work and I won't be around much this weekend, sorry but I need to be in the office."

"That's Ok, the girls want a night out so that gives me an opportunity to catch up with them."

"Thanks for your understanding, Steph. I'll see you next weekend. I may have details on a place, Aly's brother Jack is looking to move and his place looks promising. I'll send you some pictures. Take a look and tell me what you think."

"Sure."

As I put the phone down my spidey senses went off again. Was Aly the source of my problem? Surely not. She seemed lovely and Joe treated her as just one of the boys. Physically she wasn't his type but there was something about her that seemed to make the guys want to protect her. No, I was being silly, Joe was all mine. He knew the sacrifices I was making for him. He'd never do a Dickie on me. I was just being paranoid – nerves, hm, yep.

Saturday evening...

I was wearing a little black dress, lacy black underwear, sheer hold ups and 4-inch black FMPs. My earrings were large gold hoops and I'd done my eyes with grey eyeliner and lots of mascara to give a smoky effect. The only colour for the whole outfit was my bright red lipstick. I stood back to check my efforts. Not bad, I thought, even my hair was behaving and was falling about my shoulders in soft coils.

I left my apartment and headed to Mary Lou's ready to party with her, Lula, Connie and the Land of Denial. Wey hey I thought as I sashayed to my car.

o0o0o0o0o

Spades night club was packed. We had to wait ages to get in and so the first thing we did was visit the ladies room then we headed for the bar.

The club was dark and heavy with sweat. Deep bass music was thumping round the room and people were gyrating and grinding on the dance floor or hiding in corners, hands exploring. We managed to find a table towards the back and sat down. I closed my eyes, leaning against Mary Lou and absorbed the atmosphere as Lula and Connie looked round loudly discussing the mass of bodies. I took a long pull of the Mojito I had ordered.

Mary Lou leaned further into me "are you sure you know what you're doing, Steph?" she yelled so that I could hear her over the music. She was looking at the speed with which my drink was disappearing.

Before I had a chance to answer a familiar tingle settled over my body and before I could react a hand reached out and dragged me into the frenzied crowd.

"Babe" Ranger said, pulling me close just as the fast song finished and a slow number started. He buried his face in my curls, taking a deep breath, inhaling my perfume. I held onto him as a drowning man would a piece of drift wood, engulfed in his forcefield. Our bodies were moulded together from shoulder to knee. The tune ended and another slow one followed. What was I doing?! I would be leaving in a matter of weeks to be with Joe, but boy this felt good. Ranger pulled back slightly and took my face in his hands, he was about to kiss me. I couldn't stop myself even though I knew it was wrong on so many levels. However as I closed my eyes and leaned in slightly for the kiss I knew was coming Lester dragged me out of Ranger's arms. Thank God for the Merry Men I thought, even if I craved contact with their boss.

My hormones were singing and I felt slightly lightheaded but glad to be free of the man I loved and the complications that he inevitably created for me. Er, I mean other man I loved...

"Thought you needed rescuing" Lester said, breaking into my thoughts. "I hope you don't mind".

"Thanks, Lester" I replied, giving him a hug to reinforce my words.

"No problems, Beautiful. I'll remember your gratitude while I'm on the mats tomorrow morning."

"Les..."

"Don't say a word. You're playing with fire Steph. He's not been happy since he found out you were leaving. I don't know why you two never got your act together. If you were mine..."

My turn to interrupt "Lester, let's just leave it shall we?" He nodded in agreement.

Ranger left not long after that and I took my frustrations out on the poor men of Trenton. I worked off a lot of anger and sadness on the dance floor that night.

Needless to say, my wonderful girlfriends looked after me and carried me home several hours later.

I woke to find the cure on my kitchen work surface the next morning, along with a note.

_Sorry, Babe_

_Rxx_

_PS Lester is still in one piece_


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for your fabulous reviews. I'm humbled by what you've written. There's loads more in store on this emotional roller coaster of a story. Please enjoy!**

**Cheers**

**Sarah (AK Sophiepicklegirl)**

**Xxx**

Over the next couple of weeks things carried on as normal. I went up to see Joe, we decided Jack's place was perfect so he signed the contract. We could move in at the same time as I moved up permanently . Things were looking good.

Only two months to go.

o0o0o0o0o

Something woke me in the middle of the night. Not some _one_ before you jump to conclusions. Although I will admit that I would have loved to have seen Ranger, but he was definitely keeping his distance after the incident at Spades. Good thing too. My Hungarian hormones were somewhat starved, to say nothing of the Italian ones, and I might have jumped him. He wouldn't have known what would have hit him, poor man.

No, this was different. If I stopped to think about it, and for some reason I was, things were not quite right on Planet Plum.

I sat up and pulled back the covers, rolled out of bed and grabbed my bathrobe. I put it on as I went into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. I needed clarity to work out what thought had woken me up and for some reason I decided to open my bedroom window and climb out onto the fire escape. Perhaps the chilled night air would clear my brain. As I did so I took a deep breath of the cold night air. I sat down and curled my legs up so that I could wrap my whole body in my robe.

The stars were beautiful as for once there was a clear dark night. The moon was nearly full so its light cast clearly defined shadows in the car park. I looked down and was startled to see a black Porsche hiding by the dumpster. I stood up, leaned over the balcony and looked closer. Ranger! What was he doing here? He must have seen me as the engine turned over and the car sped off into the night. I scampered back inside and reached for my phone.

"Yo"

"Yo yourself, was that you in my car park?"

"Babe."

"Don't you dare,Babe me" I said in full flight "was it you?"

Silence

"I thought we were friends!" I yelled and hung up on him. Hah! I hung up on Manoso. Ha! Ha! I did a little happy dance round the room.

Then it hit me, what on earth was he doing here?

I leaned my palms and forehead against the window absorbing the cool of the glass and let out a big sigh. What was I thinking about? Crap! He'd distracted me from my thoughts. Whatever it was I'm sure if it was that important I'd remember in the morning.

Shaking my head, I finished my bottle of water and went back to bed.

Two days' later I bumped into Tank coming out of the bonds Office. Like the rest of Rangeman and Ranger in particular, he'd been tied up on 'other business' so I'd rarely spoken to him. If Lula hadn't have kept me in the loop I wouldn't have a clue as to what the Merry Men were up to. Not that she could tell me much. Nosey though I am I'd be damned if I was going to ask Ranger.

"How's it going?" I asked

"Busy" came the reply. Man of many words. Hmm two could play at that game.

"How's Ranger?"

"Busy."

"Tell him I missed him in my car park last night" OK, so I can't do the few words thing, but I got the reaction I was looking for.

Tank looked stunned.

He walked away shaking his head. I'm sure I heard "stupid fucker" as he left but I could have imagined it.

I walked in and sat down as Connie was on the phone, hopefully she had a couple of skips she could pass my way as funds were getting low. She waved towards the coffee machine so I hopped up and picked up her cup to get a refill. Whilst there I poured myself one too, bracing myself for its strong caffeinated punch.

I'd spoken with Lula earlier so knew that she had planned to be out with Lionel this morning, chasing Trenton's finest. God help the criminal underworld, I thought, chuckling to myself and shaking my head. I loved Lula greatly but she was definitely one on her own and unfortunately she had a gun... I hoped that Lionel would reign her in, but if Tank couldn't do it, I doubted Lionel could either. Watch world, here they come I mentally ginned or was that grimaced?

o0o0o0o0o

Over the next few days Joe seemed a little distant. He blamed it on his job. He thought he'd been getting to grips with the basics. Turns out his boss had been sliding him in gently. Now, however, he'd opened the floodgates and Joe was literally swimming neck deep in everything, quickly showing signs of drowning. He was now in charge of a fully operational department. Guess I'd not see as much of him as I hoped. Oh well, we'd still be together and that was all that mattered – right?

"Give me a few weeks and it'll all be OK, Cupcake" he said "stop worrying, everything will be fine. K? I promise."

Somehow I didn't quite believe him. Additionally, I noticed he didn't say he loved me at the end of the call. Usually he did and I would reply that I loved him too. I was even getting comfortable with saying it too. Hey, I'm a grown up after all – I can do this, OK?

Over the course of the next couple of weeks things went, albeit subtly, from bad to worse. I couldn't put my finger on it. We didn't talk as much or as often on the phone and we didn't seem to laugh any more. I needed to see him and reinforce our relationship. I could see 'us' slipping away. Damned long distance relationship, I thought darkly. Joe didn't seem to notice my concerns, however, he was too busy with his own battles.

o0o0o0o0o

As Lula and Lionel were working really well as a team and I was finding myself with more and more time on my hands. More time to think. I often assumed my favourite thinking position only to find that a couple of hours passed without me even noticing. I think I was winding down, bored and perhaps slightly depressed.

Perhaps I could do some searches for Rangeman. I'd ask Tank or Lester or Bobby or Ella. OK, so I didn't want to talk to Ranger. I was still in denial about what had happened at Spades and my feelings in general about the man.

Why did he still affect me so much?

Aaaaaghhh.

One thing I could do to take my mind off my move was to spend more time with my mad family so I agreed to baby sit Grandma Mazur on some of her trips to Stiva's.

"Stephanie, something's wrong. Want to talk about it?" Grandma Mazur ventured as we left a fairly uneventful viewing For Josef Kiersnowski.

"No and not really" I returned as we stepped outside. Subject closed as far as I was concerned.

I turned my mind to the events of the evening where the only entertaining part had been when the grieving relatives had clapped eyes on the magenta, orange and white mid thigh dress my grandmother was wearing. There wasn't a lot of it and it did nothing to add any allure to her figure. I know it's kinda warm at the moment, but even so I'm not sure the outfit was appreciated. When I'd asked her about it, Grandma Mazur just told me she wanted to liven up Josef's life one more time. I shook my head in mock horror.

"It's not too late to change your mind you know. We'd all support you, if you decided to get cold feet. You've a lot to lose and no-one would blame you if you pulled out. Even your Mother is in agreement on this one."

Wow! There's a first I thought stunned by this revelation. My Mother, thinking beyond the Burg gossip mongers, wonders will never cease.

I looked at her sadly. Even if I wanted to I couldn't back out now. Joe needed me and I needed him. We were meant to be together, weren't we? Why did I keep questioning myself? I needed to trust Joe and I more. We could do this and be good together.

"You could always run away with that gorgeous man with the impressive package." Grandma continued, breaking into my thoughts, "I'll help you pack if you want!"

"Thanks but no thanks" I replied. I knew her heart was in the right place. God! I loved my insane family. Our trip home was quiet, both of us deep in our own thoughts.

o0o0o0o0o

I went up to see Joe at the weekend and try as I might he seemed more and more distant. He blamed it on pressure of work, I still had my suspicions about Aly but she seemed exactly the same as every other time I'd been there. Nah, I was clutching at straws. I must be paranoid. Unless he'd heard about what had happened at Spades. I wanted to double check on that one. So I decided to step out of Denial Land for a while.

"Joe, things are good between us, aren't they?" I said quietly, plonking myself down on the bed beside him. He was leaning back against the head board, fingers laced behind his head. Long legs out straight, ankles crossed.

"Yeah, Cupcake, why do you ask?" he turned slightly so that he could see me better, dropping his one arm to his side.

"I don't know, you seem a bit off. Distant. You _do_ still want me to move up here with you, don't you?" I added, emphasising the word 'do'.

"Steph, of course I do." He looked at me with his sad puppy dog eyes "I'm just finding things difficult at work. I'm worried that they picked the wrong guy, you know?" He looked at me pleading in his voice and his shoulders fell slightly so I reached for him and pulled him into my embrace. "There's nothing else you want to talk about is there?" I added, pulling back slightly so that I could study his face.

"No, why?" he looked confused. Oblivious to my discomfort. Thank God! He didn't know about Spades.

"Nothing, it's just that I don't see you very often and you're so distant, I'm worried that you're leaving without me."

"Not a chance, Cupcake" he said, his voice becoming soft and husky as he leaned in and kissed me senseless.

o0o0o0o0o

I couldn't sleep as there was so much going through my head. Again.

In mid toss I heard tentative tapping at my apartment door. I turned in my bed and studied the clock. It was 1.05am. Who would be visiting me at that time? Don't be daft I reasoned, I'm imagining things, then I heard it again.

I rolled out of bed and threw on my robe and stumbled to my door, half awake. I opened the door to find Lionel cradling a woman. I beckoned him in, with questions written all over my face.

"I need your help, Steph" he said as he gently carried the woman to the sofa. She looked half dead, grey faced and obviously under nourished. She was also covered in bruises. He pulled me into the kitchen to explain. In all honesty we could have stayed where we were as she hadn't registered anything. What on earth had happened to get her into this state? I shuddered at the possibilities.

I'd discovered that the woman on my couch was called Rhianna. She was a single Mum of a 5 year year old girl called Britney who was her pride and joy and currently the 'guest' of a man called Nathanial Brewster. A known and very elusive hard core paedophile. Not only that but he was involved in selling flesh round the world. Lovely man I thought, bristling with anger. Bastard.

If Rhianna didn't do as she was told, Britney would be introduced to some 'uncles' who would make videos of the games they would play with the 5 year old and then make Rhianna watch the replays. Then her daughter would disappear.

Lionel had found Rhianna as he walked home from his local 7-11 for some basic foodstuffs. She was begging people, anyone, to have sex with her for money. It was obvious she was in distress and was not a hooker.

I was stunned by what Lionel had to tell me and my immediate thought was that I was in way over my head. Who could I call to help?

Lula!

"Skinny white Girl, what are you doing calling at this hour? The only people awake are either vampires or those involved in some lovin' - get my meaning?"

I'd obviously disturbed something. I heard a deep voice in the background and I realised that Tank was there – they'd been involved in some lovin' er I mean loving. Crap!! I'd never be able to look either of them in the face again. Get a grip Steph, my mental self screamed. Focus!

I explained the problem and Lula listened in silence. She'd put the phone on speaker so that Tank could hear.

"I'll call Ranger and meet you at your place in 20" Tank said before hanging up without allowing me to protest.

Great.

That was all I needed. Ranger. I could see that if I wasn't careful, things were about to get complicated again.

Fucking great!

Nineteen minutes and thirty seconds later Ranger and Tank were standing in my lounge. Ranger crouched down and assessed the woman on my couch. He gently touched her shoulder and she let out a small shriek. She was obviously frightened to death as she looked up at him with wide fearful eyes.

"It's OK, Rhianna, your safe now. Ranger is a friend and he's going to help us get Britney back." I said as I crouched down beside him, hoping he'd agree to help. He nodded, looking at her gently. He must have convinced her that he was safe as within minutes she was asleep. We adjourned to my kitchen to discuss what we were going to do.

It turns out that Ranger knew of Brewster and his reputation but also that no-one seemed to be able to penetrate his operation. There'd been several failed attempts that had led nowhere. Rhianna could help get him put away for a very long time if she would only let us get on the inside.

Ranger logged onto my computer and ran a couple of searches using websites I'd never heard of. Turns out that amongst other things there was a warrant out for Brewster's arrest for a whole long list of offences. If we could nab him it could be financially beneficial to Rangeman in more ways than one. Ranger muttered something under his breath – ker-ching I thought.

Typical. Ranger was being a heartless bastard, or so I thought so I launched into him.

"So, the great and Mighty Manoso has his mercenary head on. Can't you just do something for someone without there being a price?" I hissed at him.

He raised an eyebrow – how does he do that?

I stormed off as I could see I wasn't going to get very far with this tirade and quite frankly he'd be out of my life soon enough anyway so what was the point?

I slammed the door to my bedroom and threw myself down on my bed, head sunk into my pillows, breathing hard. I was furious.

"Babe" Ranger had followed me. Crap! I ignored him, hoping he'd just go away. What business was it of Tank's to complicate my life by bringing him here this evening anyway? My thoughts were interrupted as Ranger sat down on the bed beside me. I knew he was super close as every part of my body was humming.

He put his hand on my shoulder gently. It felt like a red hot poker has been jammed into me. I moved away so that he couldn't touch me again.

"There's no price on what we give each other, so please explain yourself."

I supposed I could explain things, it would be a first so I ran through what he'd said after he'd read about Brewster.

"Babe, if you'd been listening properly you'd had realised I said 'interesting'." His eyes were twinkling. Ranger was laughing at me.


	5. Chapter 5

**Please keep posting your feedback - I love it - so do Ranger and Steph! **

**Change of rating due to adult themes. Smut just round the corner but not just yet. Patience my sweet...**

I pouted and crossed my arms. Seemed like the only option in light of what had just happened.

"What's interesting?" I said petulantly.

"Well, for a start what is Rhianna not telling us? Why would Brewster hold her daughter and not just sell her on. That's his normal MO. There's something wrong with this picture, Babe."

Good point. Why had I not spotted this? Must be lack of sleep. I looked at my alarm clock – it was 3.42am. No wonder.

"Babe, go back to bed and get some sleep. Lionel will stay here tonight and Tank and I will be back first thing. Ok, not first thing. Say 8.30. See if you can work out the missing link while we're away."

I nodded in agreement, my eyes already starting to close.

Next thing I knew it was 7.00 and the smell of coffee was permeating my senses. Who gets up this early I thought? Then remembered the events of the night before. Ranger and Tank must have left pretty much as I slipped into sleep. I got up and put my bathrobe on, knotting the tie tightly round my waist then wandered in search of caffeine.

Lionel was sitting on the couch with Rhianna curled up in his arms. Two cups of coffee were going cold on the table in front of them.

"How's she doing?" I asked, looking at the pathetic mess in Lionel's arms. I hoped I didn't look like that when I was being comforted. I grimaced mentally. Anyway, moving swiftly along.

"Has she said or done much?" I ventured.

"She's not in a good way. Didn't sleep much. I found the best way to calm her down was to hold her."

Ah, bless!

"Rhianna?" Lionel whispered softly. No reply. He tried again.

"Rhianna, honey?"

Honey? Blimey, these English guys are quick I thought. Metal note to self. If I ever need to run away perhaps I should try England next time. Hmm, worth thinking about. Focus! Sensible Steph said. Ok, ok, yeesh! Replied Stupid Steph.

I thought I'd try to get through to her so I reached out and touched her arm gently. She didn't try to move away so I figured she was probably aware of me and the conversation going on round her.

"Rhianna, you need to talk to us so that we can help get Britney back, safe and sound. Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you understand what I'm saying." Moments before I took her hand in my own.

She squeezed.

Hurray, getting somewhere.

I won't bore you with details, but it took me a long time to persuade her that we were on her side and that by cooperating with us she might stand a chance of getting her daughter back. The longer we stalled the smaller the chance of a happy ending.

Ranger and tank walked in about half an hour later with Lula in tow.

"No way my man's gonna talk to no 'ho without me being there." She huffed out as she took up a stance in the middle of the lounge. Full rhino mood.

Great!

She looked round the room and spotted Lionel and Rhianna. Her look softened and she slowly walked over to the pair and knelt down in front of them.

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed what happened next. Lula whispered something into her ear and immediately Rhianna pulled herself out of Lionel's arms and into Lula's. The pair held each other tightly with Lula whispering into her ear, so softly no-one else could hear what was being said – the ex ho' and the desperate woman. I realised that of all the people in the room, only Lula could truly understand where Rhianna was coming from.

My friend filled me with pride – there can't be many women like her, who've been through what she's been through, and still have the biggest heart and sense of right and wrong. Tank was a very lucky man. I looked over to see him grinning – OK, so he was smiling slightly – but his eyes were full of love for his amazing girlfriend. They were truly blessed to have found each other. I looked at them both, wondering why I didn't feel the same way when I looked at Joe. I quickly brushed the feeling aside. I looked up at Ranger to see him looking at me, studying the emotions so evidently displaying themselves on my face. I smiled at him – I felt something for Ranger – OK, so I loved him totally but our love was never going to lead to anything. Stop! Sensible Steph was saying. He can't give you what you need and anyway you'll be gone from him in a few weeks. Stupid Steph was howling in despair and at this moment I was with her all the way.

I led the pair of them into my bedroom so that Lula could continue to talk to her and wandered back into the lounge. Now what?

No idea.

I shrugged my shoulders at the unanswered questions that were being put to me – see I can do the silent conversation thing too. Who am I kidding but hey, there's a first time for everything.

Finally Lula came out and shut the door behind her. Quietly. Wow, who knew Lula could do quiet. I'd learnt lot of new things about her today and it was kinda nice.

She herded us into the kitchen and started fiddling with the coffee machine. Ranger took over and pushed her towards Tank.

She turned to face us all and Tank put his large arms around her waist, pulling her towards him. She leant back obviously drawing comfort from him before she started to tell us what she'd just learnt.

It turns out that Rhianna knew Brewster. Very well in fact. They'd been lovers 6 years ago. She had known that he had a temper but he'd never taken it out on her until one night, mid fight when he'd turned violent and raped her brutally. Somehow she'd managed to escape and fled to Canada where she'd built a new life for herself. A couple of weeks ago he'd tracked her down only to discover she had a daughter. He'd assumed she'd run off with another man and had flipped. The only reason that Rhianna and Britney weren't dead was because underneath it all, somewhere deep inside, he still loved her. In his own twisted way.

Rhianna had tried to persuade him that Britney was his and that there had been no-one else since then. Any sane person could see she was still very wary of most men so this made sense. Finally she'd persuaded him to take a paternity test knowing full well that when the result came back she'd be in a living hell for the rest of her life. Britney had been created out of brutality and she knew he'd teach her everything he knew. Rhianna needed out but had no idea how to achieve it and be able to take Britney with her.

The results were due back day after tomorrow.

I needed to think. Ranger was right, there had been more to this story than first thought. How the hell did we solve it though?

As my usual thinking position was out of the question, I decided I needed sugar to help me so I volunteered to go and get some breakfast for everyone. Ranger, Tank and Lula had eaten but I knew that when I mentioned donuts, Lula wouldn't say no so five minutes later found me in my car heading out for some food.

It seemed that everyone was out buying donuts that morning and I could see why. They were so fresh that they were too hold to hold. My favourite way to eat them. A dozen donuts later and I was good to go. Trouble was that they were soooo fresh that I had to snag a dozen more. They, they keep, y'know? OK, so I might have stretched the truth, but I'm out of practice on the lying front so I need to keep my hand in.

Anyway, half way through my third donut I worked out what we needed to do.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"You're not going to like this, but I have come up with a plan" I started as I pulled plates out of my cupboard.

"Babe?"

"Oh, no you don't skinny white girl. I can see where you're heading and I'm not doin' it for no-one"

"Relax" I said, "We're going to pose as prospective 'buyers'."

"Babe?"

"Well, we know that Brewster buys and sells flesh. What if we pose as childless parents?"

"No going to work, Babe. Brewster sells people for sex not to make up happy homes. Plus we would need to be looking for babies. Small people can talk. And lastly" he said, looking at me as if I were a simpleton "there's no time to set up a meeting" Ranger visibly relaxed as he finished telling me what was wrong with my plan, which is what I'd wanted from 'plan B'. Now for the real plan....

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Absoluletly not! No way! Think again!" Tank fumed, walking round my small lounge. It was times like this I got to see how big and intimidating he really was.

"Ok, come up with a better plan and we'll go with yours then." I said, folding my arms in front of me and pulling myself up to my full height. I still only reached his shoulders. "Just think though, if we got him we'd pull him off the streets forever and there'd be one less of his kind out there. Isn't that worth something?"

"She's got a point" said Lula dubiously.

"Ranger?" I asked, turning to him. "Please. We need to do this."

"OK, but we'll have to plan this to the last detail. Let's get over to Rangeman now. Rhianna needs to be returned so that Brewster doesn't suspect and the less we tell her the less she can tell him."

It was agreed that Rhianna would go back to Brewster's pick up point mid morning.

"Good luck" I said as I held her briefly before she went. Lionel handed her some money before they left so that it looked like she'd been a busy girl. She hardly registered any of us as she grabbed Lionel's hand and walked out the door. Seems he was one of the men she trusted.

He left her at the predetermined site and then she was on her own.

I went off with Lula to get a crash course in whoring. I just prayed that I wasn't going to need it...

o0o0o0o0o0o

The plan was for me to locate Brewster's outfit so that Rangeman could take the whole operation out. So straight forward, nothing could go wrong. O.b.v.i.o.u.s.l.y...

o0o0o0o0o0o

Hector implanted the latest state of the art tracker which could also pick up some sound if made loudly enough, just behind my ear above the base of my hairline and I was good to go.

Manny drove me to the drop-off point and I left the car. Ok, so I looked like I'd been thrown out. Word had been circulated that Rinaldi - the pimp we had 'enlisted' (ok, so press ganged would be a better description) to help with the initial part of the plan - was dumping his newest whore as she was too feisty for his 'establishment'. I sat on the kerbside nursing the wounds I'd picked up, trying to work out where I was. It was near the drop off site for Rhianna so I figured I was in the right area to attract Brewster's attention. Within minutes a car pulled up and a man stuck his head out of the window. I recognised him from the intel we'd been through. Bingo!

"Hey, pretty lady, need a lift?"

I stood up and assumed a hostile stance, legs slightly parted with my weight on one leg, arms crossed, head to one side. I could tell he was looking me up and down. Assessing my potential. This had better work I thought or I'm in real trouble. I nodded briefly as another man got out and dragged me roughly towards the car.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Steph's moving" Hal informed the team in the conference room. Ranger turned away from the team and picked up his phone. He needed to alert Morelli to what was going on. He knew Steph would be angry that he'd alerted Joe, but he needed to fill the poor guy in on what was going down.

o0o0o0o0o0o

After a good half hour of driving, the car pulled up to some heavy gates which opened as they got closer. They drove in and pulled up on a large area of compacted mud and gravel. Steph was man handled out of the car. She didn't recognise her surroundings at all. All she knew is that she was in a very overgrown tumble down part of a very old and tumble down town. Not far from the Barrens probably, judging by the direction they had taken.

OK, girl, time to play, she thought to herself, mentally gearing up for what was to come. She adopted her best Jersey Girl Attitude and began chewing slowly and deliberately on the gum she'd pulled out of her pocket as she was led into a large house. Breathe and calm Stephanie, breathe and calm she thought as she was pushed into a large room which was obviously some sort of office.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"What do you mean she's gone undercover for Rangeman?" Joe screamed down the phone.

He really didn't need this and to be told by the head Prick himself didn't help matters. He thought Ranger was still in the wind and it was obvious that he'd been wrong. Was he wrong about anything else?

He ran his hands through his hair as he paced round his office. He needed to get back to Trenton. He needed to be there for her if, no, when she came out. He knew it was a quick and dirty operation but they were the ones that often went wrong. How could she have been so stupid? What was Manoso thinking?

Aaaaagh! He needed this like a hole in the head. He needed to focus on his job. He needed her to be safe.

He realised for the first time ever that his allegiance was torn between his job and his Cupcake. Crap!

o0o0o0o0o0o

Breathe, Steph, breathe. You can do this.

Steph heard footsteps coming into the room but she knew better than to turn round. A finger was traced over her naked arms, assessing the scratches on her elbows. The same hand ran itself over the back of her tank top then slid under to feel her skin. The exploring was making her feel like a piece of meat. It was obvious that the hands were assessing her as such. She tamped down the fear that was threatening to spill out. The hand continued, pushing itself down into the back of her skirt and under her panties, coming to rest on one of her buttocks where it gave a hard squeeze.

"Nice" a voice drooled. She tried not to move but every fibre of her being was screaming for her to get out.

"And frightened too. Even better."

The hand was removed.

Lips were pressed to the back of her neck, nuzzling into her hairline before dropping to where her neck and shoulders met. She held her breath in case he felt the lump where the tracker was. It felt huge right now and she prayed that the lips would move away. They did.

Hands started to travel round the front of her body and across the material of her top, stopping to cup her breast, pinching roughly at her nipple. OW! That hurt, she thought before purring a soft 'hmm' sound as she pretended to be enjoying the man's attention. She felt him press himself into her back. She knew what was coming next. Him. Inside her. She prayed for forgiveness for what she was about to do and turned round, slowly.

"Get off!" came a low growl and the man was ripped off her. She stood face to face with Brewster. "Not in my office you dump ass!" He slapped the man roughly round the back of his head and waved him out of his office. The man turned, throwing a look of pure evil back at Brewster before storming out. "Don't even think about it Eduardo" Brewster hissed at the man's back and then returned his focus to Steph.

"I hear you've been dumped by Rinaldi. Care to enlighten me?" he said, walking round her, like Eduardo he was assessing her potential. Bile was rising in her throat and she had to swallow hard before replying.

"Too much of a woman for his customers" she said, shrugging her shoulders. Boy the years of distraction were good training for this scenario she thought, silently thanking Ranger.


	6. Chapter 6

**This is quite a dark chapter so if you're easily offended then I woulsn't read it! You've been warned!**

**PS Thanks for your reviews they've made my day, please keep it up. **

**Now, where were we? Oh yes...**

"He's here, Boss" Hal called on the intercom.

"Show him up."

"Sure thing."

Joe walked into the conference room and could see there was a hive of activity going on. In spite of himself he did find Manoso's operation very professional. Still don't like or trust the man he thought, childishly. "So, bring me up to speed" he said, snagging a cup of coffee and walking to Ranger's side.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph looked round the large room she found herself in. It was sumptuously decorated in rich burgundy and deep gold. Still a prison, Steph thought, continuing to study where she was. A large very beautiful and heavily draped king sized bed was the focal point and a heavy mahogany wardrobe, chest of drawers and dressing table set completed the furniture. Despite the room's opulence it smelled of fear and sweat. Steph wished that she could open the large heavily draped windows but it was obvious they were locked shut. "Anyone there?" she whispered. Nothing. Damn!

"Hello, anyone there?" louder this time.

"Over here" said a child's voice. Stephanie's eyes filled with tears which she blinked hard to get through.

Walking in the direction that the voice had come through she found a girl cradling a woman in the middle of the bed, obscured by the curtains. Rhianna. "What happened?" she asked, assessing the girl who was cradling her mother. Rhianna just continued to lay there. She won't be much use thought Steph darkly. It's all she can do to breathe – she's on lock down.

"I've found them, although Rhianna's in some sort of trance" she said as clearly as she could without shouting. She prayed that the message had got through, then she turned back to the little girl on the floor

"Mummy got hurt so the scarey man brought her into here for me to look after her." Britney stiffened up with pride at that point, patting Rhianna's arm gently. Steph was humbled by her bravery.

"It's OK honey" she said, gesturing to the girl that she meant no harm. The child smiled carefully, not totally trusting her. No great surprise there, thought Steph.

"Cutie pie, I'm here to help" she whispered as she sat down on the edge of the bed. Britney suddenly let out a sob, lowered Rhianna to the covers and rushed into Steph's waiting arms. It was some time later that the sobs died down, Steph had been smoothing her back and whispering words of comfort. What was Brewster thinking? He'd terrorised this kid and her mother. Did he really think she could be moulded to suit his needs once it was confirmed that he was her father?

She pulled back slightly so that she could study the little girl in her arms – she still had baby fat on her little limbs. Not a lot but just enough to remind you of her age – she was soft and squidgy – just the right age to be cuddled. Her nieces were past that now and she'd forgotten how wonderful they'd felt. They were gangly - all skin and bone and muscle now. She let out a sigh. Britney had deep auburn coloured hair which although tangled and dirty hung just below her shoulders. Steph imagined it clean – it was probably beautiful. Her eyes were blue grey and the glasses she was wearing made them seem very large indeed. She had a little button nose and when she smiled she had one dimple. Steph smiled to herself – shame she couldn't afford the other one.

Steph's stomach growled loudly. Britney looked up at her surprised and curious. "Was that your tummy?" she asked, grimacing slightly.

Steph looked a bit embarrassed and replied that it was. It had been several hours and 'the beast' as Ranger called it had let her know what her priorities should be. Funny how Ranger was the one to give her appetite a name. Joe never really acknowledged that she needed to eat all the time. Another minus for Joe she thought before turning back to the child in her arms.

At that moment the locks tumbled and Eduardo walked in carrying a tray of food. "Anyone need the bathroom?" he asked. Steph stood up and confirmed that it would be a good idea for all three of them to go. "I'll take Britney first" she said, looking him in the eye. Eduardo obviously decided to behave himself and waved them out of the room and into the corridor. The bathroom was at the end.

"Don't shut the door" he said, putting his foot in the way.

The toilet was opposite the door and Eduardo had a clear view of it. Steph closed her eyes and did her business as discretely as possible. She looked up to see those of her captors glaze over with lust, no man had ever seen her take a pee before and she felt as violated as if he'd raped her. Anger flared in her and if she got the chance she pay him back big time. Pervert.

Luckily he didn't seem to be interested in Britney. Thank God for small mercies she thought as they returned to the room.

Eduardo pulled Rhianna out so that she could relieve herself. A few minutes later the three of them were alone in the room with the food. Steph and Britney took turns feeding Rhianna who took the food gratefully but without really recognising what was going on. Yeesh, though Stephanie.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Report!" Ranger snapped. The tension getting the better of him.

Ha! So the man is human after all. Joe thought bitterly as he stood up waiting to hear what the surveillance team had discovered.

It had been 24 hours since Steph had been taken. Luckily her GPS was still working which was a good sign. Removing it would sound an alarm so it looked as if she hadn't been compromised – at least as far as that was concerned. They'd heard her message, telling them that she'd found Rhianna and Britney but they hadn't heard anything since. All the men in the room knew the longer she was in that hell hole, the greater her chances of being violated or worse. They needed to wrap things up. Midnight. They only had to wait till then.

Ranger had the plans for the house on the conference table, it was made up of a series of large rooms over three floors. Plenty of space to hide people. The security seemed to be limited to the perimeter but chances were there was more inside. Especially considering the nature of Brewster's business.

"Hector has managed to climb over the fence at a particular point towards the back of the property where the bushes were at their deepest. He'd had to go to ground in a shed near the kitchens. That was 6 hours ago" explained Ranger as Joe poured over the drawings.

"He's trying to establish what we're up against and it'll take him a while so we need to sit tight. He's the best of the best at this and we need to let him work his magic" he continued.

"What are these?" Morelli asked pointing to numbers and letters hand-written over the whole sheet.

"Those are for Hector" Ranger replied, expecting Joe to understand. Joe just nodded wisely, no idea what he'd just been told, but he didn't want to let on to this arrogant s-o-b.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Anabel calling home" Hector said.

"All ears Anabel" Hal replied.

"I'm in and all's quiet. I've established where the target is –2R. There appear to be other such rooms dotted around the place. We'll need minibuses just in case. I'm working out friend to foe ratios as we speak. There's something going down tomorrow. The results are due back by 0930 hours and after that the necessary actions will be taken, but right now it's just too quiet. There appears to be some sort of celebration later this evening as Eduardo Catalino secured new business but I haven't been able to work out what's going down. I know they'll be in 1F. I'm off to put the donuts down."

"10-4. Intel absorbed. Good luck, keep us posted."

"K"

o0o0o0o0o0o

"So, why are you doing this?" Joe asked Tank as they waited in the armoury for the equipment to be signed out and distributed.

"Steph asked for help." Came the reply.

"Do you guys normally drop everything and come running when Steph calls?" he persisted, annoyed by the brevity of the answer he got and all that it implied.

"Yeah."

"Why?" I can do the one word conversation thing too, Joe thought angrily.

"Because we love her." Tank said, giving this information as though it was such an obvious answer.

"Why?" Joe asked again.

"Steph is the most amazing person with the biggest heart." Tank replied, quietly but with total confidence in what he was about to impart. "She has never judged any of us. She's never asked us to change and she trusts and loves every one of us as a brother. Not many people treat us like that, we're either seen as meat for the bedroom or thugs and killers. She's one in a million and we all love her for allowing us into her life. How many people do you know that would have offered to help a complete stranger the way she just has?"

Joe was stunned by what Tank said. He'd never thought of Ranger and his crew as being humans, with feelings and needs. He'd only ever looked at them as being the enemy. Cold blooded mercenaries. Perhaps he should reassess some of Steph's friends. He was now just beginning to see another side to his Cupcake and the feelings this revelation uncovered surprised him. He realised that Steph came with a whole pile of baggage, most of it innocently gained and willingly carried.

"I thought you were all busy on some huge operation. Vinnie wouldn't release Steph from her contract because of it." He continued.

"Yeah." Tank responded as he put on a Kevlar vest then began adding guns other equipment to the utility belt around his waist.

"But you still dropped everything to help her?"

"Not really."

"Pardon?"

"We finished up coupla days ago in Trenton. Rest of the business is being covered out of Boston. Steph's request came in a quiet moment." With that, Tank finished tooling up then turned and walked away.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Britney and Rhianna were asleep – they would benefit later by it hoped Steph. Unfortunately sleep alluded her so she gave up trying and began to pace round the room, quietly so as not to disturb the others. What was going on elsewhere? Were the good guys on their way? Time was running out and she knew it. Tomorrow the results of the paternity test would come through and Rhianna would lose Britney forever.

She didn't have time to think any further as the door opened and Eduardo walked in. "Time to earn your keep, Bitch" he grinned, throwing some clothes at her.

She stood up and pulled her shoulders back. She was not going to be intimidated by him, no sirree. OK, so he might have scared her a little bit, OK a hell of a lot, but she wasn't going to let him see that. She took the clothes and looked at them. There was no doubt in her mind that the brief lesson she had with Lula was about to be put into practice. Sweet Jesus...

"You've got ten minutes" Eduardo growled. "Here's some make-up, put that on too."

Steph grabbed the bag from his outstretched arm. Trying not to get too close. It was full of half used tubes and pots. She didn't want to think about where it had come from. When, not if but when, she got out of this she was going to lie in bleach for a week. Eduardo then turned on his heels and left, slamming the door behind him.

"I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm on in 10 – wish me luck. The others are staying in the room." She said slowly and carefully.

"Hi there? Can you hear me Higher Powers?" Steph said out loud, kneeling in front of the bed. "I promise I'll never whinge at you again, even if I spend the rest of my life covered in rubbish or parked next to the Dumpster. Please let this turn out OK, please, please, please." Steph had not prayed for a long time but for some reason now seemed like a good time to start again.

She then got up and started to get changed. Luckily, the clothes smelled of laundry detergent so were clean – she hoped. She didn't want to think about the last woman to wear them.

The bright red stretchy dress, if you could call it a dress was like something out of the 80's. Big shoulders and lots of strategic rips. It covered her panties, but that was about it. Unfortunately she didn't think the ones she'd been wearing were quite right – they were plain, white and comfortable for a start - so she'd been forced to put on the thong that she'd also been given. No room for a bra as one of the rips skimmed the top of one nipple so she was pretty much naked underneath. Just like a real ho' she thought shakily. She'd teased her hair up and big and caked her face in layers of makeup including four coats of mascara for courage. The shoes were xxx movie rated slut shoes – black and plastic. They pinched quite a bit as they were too small but that was the least of her worries.

Ten minutes and 31 seconds later the door was opened again. "Nice" said a different man as he licked his lips, looking her up and down. "Let's get you downstairs for the party. When it's all over how 'bout I show you a really good time, Lover" he leered, stroking his crotch. It began to fill out as he looked at her.

She gave him a look of "you reckon? I don't think so" and stalked past and down the hall, trying hard to find 'attitude' when all she felt was fear.

She glanced at a clock she saw as she walked carefully down the stairs. It was 11.45. Could she hold out till midnight? God, she hoped so. Had Ranger and his men heard her message? Please, Higher Powers, just this once?

She was pushed into a dimly lit smoke-filled room where several men were relaxing in comfortable plush chairs, beers in their hands. They looked vaguely familiar and she realised that they must work for Brewster and she had seen some of them on the briefing files. She counted 11 men in total. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Eduardo, stroking his trousers, his erection clearly evident.

Great, I'm staff Entertainment again. But this time it's distraction at its fullest, she thought, a hysterical shriek poised at the back of her throat. Hey' I'm a line on their budget too! She giggled inwardly. Stop it, focus! Snapped Sensible Steph so she tried to imagine how Ranger would react to this situation. Thinking of him calmed her down. She took a deep breath. That's better Sensible Steph said again, smugly.

"Gentlemen." Brewster reached out, grabbed her hand and dragged her further into the room. This is our latest recruit. She was let go yesterday by her pimp as she was too much of a firecracker for him." A soft laugh filled the room as all eyes began to bore into her. She could feel the sexual tension rise.

She could do this, she was a Jersey girl after all. She lengthened her spine and pulled her shoulders back trying to look intimidating. "Take it slow, Steph and you might live till tomorrow" she thought as she returned their stares.

"She needs a name" someone yelled out from the back "yeah, yeah, yeah" voices whispered quickly.

"How about Demon" someone called. "If she's that much of a goer she'll be whirling like one shortly" the voice sniggered.

Suddenly Steph was filled with anger. It had replaced her fear. She promised herself she would do what it took to keep this lot busy and hopefully Rangeman could do its work.

Brewster stood forward and addressed the room, total quiet descended.

"We're celebrating tonight as Eduardo clinched the Chilean deal." A soft hum of appreciation went round the room.

"Now, without further ado, I present Demon". Several cheers went up then a soft slow hand clap started.

"So, gentleman, looks like I'm on?" Steph said loudly "But there are no props for me to use?"

Obviously no-one had thought of it and so they all looked round bewildered.

Within a few moments, a chair and a man's tie were brought to the middle of the room.

Steph grabbed the chair and turned it so that the back was facing the audience. She decided to pretend to masturbate behind it – that would keep them occupied she thought.

Slow and seductive music was piped into the room and then the show started.

Steph took the tie and stroked her body with it, pulling it seductively over her body, pretending that it was Ranger's, er Joe's fingers. As she moved it across the dress and her skin she began to sway, bending her knees slightly and grinding her hips. She hoped she didn't look like Jamie Lee-Curtis in True Lies when she first started to pole dance for her husband.

She heard a groan or two, a cough, general movement and the rustle of fabric. She closed her eyes slightly and began to really move with the music, her long legs stretched one minute and bent the next so that she could wiggle her bottom and hips at her audience. Hurry up lads, she thought as she pressed her hands to her breasts, sliding the tie across the one almost exposed by the rip. Slowly she moved behind the chair. Swaying and moaning as she went.

"Fuck!" someone said and she grinned. These men were putty in her hands. Fools!

She dropped the tie to the floor and slowly, inch by inch pulled the bottom of her dress up to expose her underwear and slid one hand down inside the elastic at the side of the thong caressing her hip suggestively. Then she turned round and bent over just enough so that they could see her covered lips, luckily the thong hid everything. Thank God for small mercies she giggled hysterically in her head.

She stood up and turned round knowing she had every man in the room spell bound. Ranger had once said that he thought she held all the power and at that moment she could see that she really did. She looked over at Brewster who was licking his lips and knew that he had other ideas of what to do with her when the show was over. She hoped to God she would not find out what they were.

She sat down slowly on the chair, one leg either side, the back facing her enraptured audience, leaving no doubt as to what was now open and ready for action. Gripping the back of the chair with one hand she slowly slid the other one up her body and skimming over her breasts headed up towards her mouth. She slid two fingers between her lips suggestively before pulling them out and running her tongue over their tips. The hand then began to travel southward. A collective gasp filled the room, she could see several erect penises being giving attention. She realised that the only two still holding back were Brewster and Eduardo. She wondered why.

The room was now starting to smell of sex and sweat. In a one-on-one situation this worked for Steph, but for some reason, can't imagine why, tonight it wasn't her thing. She hoped that she'd overcome her sudden revulsion to this smell when back in bed with Ra... Joe. Joe, that was her boyfriend's name. Focus Stephanie!

As she ran her hand down her body towards the promised land she leant her head back slightly, closing her eyes completely and began to moan. Almost immediately she felt hands on her body.

Crap!

She hadn't been expecting audience participation. How would Lula handle this?

Anger!

"Hey, this is my show, get the hell off!" She hissed as her eyes snapped open and she stared into Brewster and Eduardo's lusting eyes.

"Not any more, Demon" Eduardo purred as he shoved his hand down her thong. Rough fingers sought entrance to her core. She couldn't struggle as her hands were being pinned down by Brewster who was trying to tie her arms to her sides with the tie.

"She's ready and waiting" panted Eduardo removing his fingers from her soft folds and pulling her knees up away from the chair. He was dangerously close to her and she began to struggle. Immediately the other men were standing round the group. Steph screamed as hot wet fluid landed on her face. She knew she was in really serious trouble now...


	7. Chapter 7

Something broke inside her and she began to fight.

She fought with every fibre of her being.

She was fighting for her life.

Eduardo and Brewster were strong but the adrenalin rush combined with her fear was making her even stronger. She knew she couldn't hold them back for long though. Eduardo had got dangerously close to impaling her on a couple of occasions. The men were cheering and laughing. Encouraging him and taunting her with their words. They were all focusing on the wildcat that was Stephanie Plum, and they were inflamed by her passion.

"She really is a Demon" Brewster said through gritted teeth as he tried to pin her down. In desperation he ended up smacking her hard across her face. The pain stunned her for a moment and Eduardo changed his hold on her legs pulling them apart in readiness for his cock. He smiled and licked his lips as he pulled her thong out of the way...

Then the bombs went off.

And all hell broke loose.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Go! Go! Go!" Ranger yelled into his mic, motioning forward with his left hand, his right firmly wrapped round a semi automatic. Tank peeled off to his right, Lester up the main staircase and Brown to his left, each trailing a team of men behind them. Redecoration time.

He motioned to Joe who was just standing slightly to his left and they set off in a different direction to everyone else.

"Good start, Hector." Ranger said quietly into his head piece as they turned a corner.

The bombs had altered the structure of the building which was now shaking with the aftermath of the explosions. Hector had set up 8 sites with small well placed devices designed to undermine the building's integrity but to give Ranger and his men enough time to get everyone out. Everyone that they needed to, that is.

"Thanks Boss" came the reply. No more to be said until later when a full debrief would determine exactly how successful the operation had been.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph was dropped onto the floor, mercifully missing the chair. She scrambled away into the nearest corner, trying to cover herself with the scraps of fabric of her dress, hoping no-one would notice her in the now darkened room. She'd kicked off the shoes when she'd fallen to the ground and she hoped someone would fall over and break their neck on them. Hey, nothing like being an optimist, she thought grimly.

Someone swore close by her and she was yanked up off the floor and onto her feet. As they staggered out of the room she could see some of the carnage as moonlight flooded in through the now broken windows. One of the bombs had gone off in the central hallway, taking most of the doors and parts of some of the walls with it. Bits of plaster were falling from the ceiling. She realised that when this was all over the building would need to be knocked down,.

The bomb hadn't done that much damage to the room she just been taken from, so she was hardly scratched, luckily, but she could see Rangemen rounding up some of the men who'd been in there with her. She could see people running everywhere but the hands that had pulled her out of the room were not friendly ones.

Brewster.

Her flesh crawled as he pawed her skin. Despite the explosions Brewster was still excited from the display Steph had shown him earlier and he was taking advantage of her shock. As he pushed her up a set of stairs at the back of the building he had somehow managed to put one of his hands under the hem of her dress and was massaging her buttocks. He manoeuvred her round a corner and they found themselves outside the room where Rhianna and Britney were housed. He turned the key in the lock, opened the door and shoved her in, quickly following. He shut the door, returning the key to the lock and securing it behind him before dropping it in his pocket.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Out of the corner of his eye, Joe saw Eduardo Catalano scrabbling up some stairs, he tapped Ranger on the shoulder and they followed silently as he ascended to the next floor. The moonlight shone directly into the corridor they found themselves in so they slinked silently after him at a short distance, sliding along the wall to hide their shadows, stepping round things that didn't belong where they'd landed as best they could without being detected.

o0o0o0o0o0o

The noise from Hector's bombs had woken the room's occupants and Rhianna seemed to be more alert than she'd been earlier. Perhaps the sleep had helped too. Who knew. Perhaps she would be an asset after all, thought Steph.

Brewster propelled Steph towards the back of the room following closely behind, heading towards one of the panels by the bed which he proceeded to press. Steph heard a catch release and he pushed the drape nearest him onto the bed to reveal a small door. He turned back to her and ignoring the other occupants of the room, proceeded to kiss her hard, grinding his erection into her thigh. She was too shocked to fight back and he took that as consent. His hands pulled at the front of her dress, eager to reach the breasts that were almost on display. He managed to get his hand inside the rip closest to one of her nipples and pulled it out through the fabric then bit down on it with excitement, making him groan with desire. "Won't be long now, Demon. We'll really have some fun when we're out of this hell hole." He licked his lips and bit her again. Harder this time.

The pain was enough to wake Steph from her stunned inactivity and she swung her arm and punched him as hard as she could.

She caught him on the soft part of his ear and he swore as he let her go, clutching his ear.

"You'll pay for that Bitch" he hissed and went to grab her again. Steph acted on pure instinct as she raised her knee. He impaled his crotch on her sharp bones and slid to the floor with a grunt, where he assumed the fetal position and began rocking back and forth with pain.

Rhianna shot off the bed, motioning for Britney to stay put. She leant over and stared down as Brewster rithed in agony on the floor. Then, turning towards Steph with a big grin on her face, she winked as she upped with her booted foot and kicked him really hard just where Steph had caught him and he screamed like a baby before passing out.

"That's for everyone you've ever hurt, you bastard." Rhianna and Steph looked at each other then did a high five.

"Great team work!" Steph said giggling.

They allowed themselves a couple of minutes to enjoy their victory beforecoming back to reality and looking at the doorway in the wall, weighing up this new option. Steph didn't know if it would be on the building's plans and figured that with all the Merry Men running around they'd be safer going out through the only other door. Rhianna reached into Brewster's pocket and removed the key, opened the door and carefully stuck her head out to investigate.

o0o0o0o0o0o

As they turned a corner a loud blood curdling scream filled the air around the three men. Morelli could not be sure whether it was from a human or animal, old or young. The only thing he did know was that whatever had happened there was a lot of pain involved and it had come from behind the door Catalano was now standing in front of. He hoped it was not Cupcake who'd produced that sound. He looked at Ranger and realised that the same thought had crossed his mind too. He tightened his grip on his gun, shrank back against the wall and waited to see what Catalano would do next.

At that moment the door opened and some hair popped out. Catalano shoved the person it belonged to back into the room and followed them in before shutting the door. There was a loud and brief scuffle and a single gun shot. The Ranger and Joe raced towards the room to investigate.

Ranger'd felt Steph as they'd sprinted down the corridor and knew she was inside. His mind had gone blank and all he'd wanted to do was protect her. He slammed into the door and it practically fell off its hinges. It landed unevenly on a man's body. He couldn't stop and went barrelling further into the room. Morelli came crashing in behind him and the two men nearly fell over as Joe tried his hardest to stop before wiping the both of them out.

"Glad you could make it, Boys" Steph purred at them.

Joe and Ranger looked round the room to assess the situation. A small girl was hiding behind great big curtains that hung around the bed. Rhianna, holding a gun, was staring at a pile of door-covered limbs and Brewster was still laid out cold by the bed.

"Proud of you, Babe." Said Ranger, pulling Steph into his arms.

**Thanks for all your feedback so far but don't think things are going to get easy just yet. I've so much more for this story before I've finished....**

**Muahahaha!!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Please keep reading and reviewing - there's so much more to give you...**

Joe stepped round them both and cleared his throat noisily. Ranger pulled himself back from the hug he was wrapped up in and reluctantly let Steph go.

She smiled at him turned to Joe and sunk into his chest. It almost felt as good as Ranger's.

Almost.

But she didn't want to focus on that right now. He couldn't or wouldn't give her the relationship she craved and Joe could. So she'd settled for what Morelli was offering. It was enough, hopefully.

She realised as she buried her head further into Joe's chest that she was bracing herself for his disapproval of the situation they found themselves in and that thought made her sad.

Morelli pulled back from her slightly so that he could check her over and make sure that she was OK and for the first time ever he realised that perhaps he didn't really know Steph at all. However, just as he was about to say something the building shuddered and everyone was brought quickly back to reality.

"Back up required in 2R. We've wounded enemy for pick-up" Ranger said into his mic, returning to solider mode. He didn't want to hang about in case the building collapsed but he knew that they needed to get Brewster and Catalano out with them. He bent down and cuffed Brewster who was still in the foetal position. It was evident why he was flat out on the floor as he was still clutching his crotch and had started to moan softly. Ranger looked at Steph and raised an eyebrow. She grinned all wide-eyed and innocently from within Joe's embrace. It was clear that Brewster was coming round so would be able to walk out albeit with some assistance.

Brewster groaned more loudly as Ranger hauled him to his feet and tried to straighten him up. Easier said than done when your gonads are sitting in your throat, Ranger thought and smiled to himself. It was such a shame Steph didn't realise her own strength and he prayed that Morelli would not stifle her. No point in thinking about that now – she'd chosen the cop – best not to dwell on the fact that in less than two weeks she'd be out of his life.

Forever.

Joe let go of Steph and pulled the door off Catalano's body. He'd only been shot in the upper arm and would still have been standing if it wasn't for the door and two men who'd bounced on top of him. Although Morelli was pissed off that Steph had landed herself in this situation he couldn't help but smile to himself as he picked up Eduardo's feet and began to drag him out of the doorway. He yelled for everyone else to follow.

o0o0o0o0o0o

The building was cleared by 2.28am and the minibuses were filled and moving by 2.47am. The building started to collapse at 2.53am.

o0o0o0o0o0o

No-one got much sleep that night. Lester, Hector and Hal escorted the four casualties to St Francis for assessment. Unfortunately Brewster and Catalano tripped down the stairs and picked up a few more bruises and broken bones along the way. Shame.

The unharmed victims and villains were taken to Trenton PD to be processed and Ranger, Tank and Morelli stayed to help.

Steph went with Bobby, Rhianna and Britney to be checked out at Haywood. Lionel met them to take Steph back to her place and Rhianna and Britney back to his.

The rest of the Merry Men went home to their respective beds to catch a few zeds before the dawn broke.

Steph opened her apartment door at 5.17am and collapsed asleep on her bed at 5.17 and 43 seconds. Lionel locked her in and set off back to his car to take his charges back to his apartment.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Joe and Ranger sat on the bench by the front desk, nursing coffees and waiting for the last few pieces of paperwork to be completed. The corridor was quiet and after the chaos and noise of the take down it was a stark contrast. Both men were dead on their feet as the adrenaline had worn off over an hour ago. It was all they could do to sit upright.

Ranger glanced at his watch, it was 6.32. The day was just beginning as the booking sergeant returned with the last completed forms and the two men stood up to greet him, their limbs like lead. The effort to move was almost too much for either of them to cope with.

"Good job, Ranger" said Joe, begrudgingly, reaching to shake his rival's hand. They'd managed to rescue 32 women, aged 15 to 27 and 11 children aged 4 upwards.

18 men plus Brewster and Catalano had been taken into custody as a result of the takedown and the total amount of reward money that would be paid by the 'Grateful State' was in excess of $380,000 and climbing.

"Quite a result" Joe continued.

"Nothing to do with me" Ranger replied, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"?"

"It was Steph's idea" he enlarged.

"I don't understand."

"She asked for help and we gave it to her" Ranger replied again, his tone like that of a patient adult to a young child.

"Why would you help Steph if not for the money?" Joe said, looking totally non-plussed.

"It's what friends to for each other." Ranger replied, shrugging his shoulders slightly, a looked of frustration on his face. Gee how dumb is this man? He thought crossly.

Joe looked thoughtful for a moment before he said "did she ask Rangeman or you?" softly.

"Don't ask me to answer that, you've already won" came the soft reply and before the strained conversation could go any further, Tank appeared from behind the booking sergeant, tiredness etched onto his face. He took the outstanding paperwork and motioned to Ranger that it was time to leave.

Ranger nodded towards Joe and followed Tank out of the door, each man lost in his own thoughts.

Joe said his goodbyes to his old colleagues and left shortly afterwards.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for your wonderful feedback - I'm glad you felt the sorrow that the characters have been feeling. Black clouds will be going away soon, I promise!**

Morelli glanced at the clock, it was 11.00am. He'd managed to get 4 hours sleep which had taken the edge off his fatigue. It would have to be enough. He had to get back to his office, pronto and try to plow through some of the backlog that he knew would have accumulated in his three day absence.

"Cupcake?"

"Hmmm?" she replied dreamily.

"I've gotta go. I need to be back in my office asap, you OK?"

"Yeah."

"You did really well and I'm proud of you, but we need to talk, K?" he whispered as he slid out of Steph's bed and stumbled into the bathroom, hoping to come back into focus under the influence of the hot water from the shower. She'd sort of acknowledged his last comment but he didn't want to push it, she'd looked so peaceful. He knew she'd sleep on. God, after what she'd been through she needed it. But what had surprised him was how she was considering all that had happened over the last few days. Amazing.

She was so brave and capable.

And reckless.

Even so, he couldn't believe that she'd volunteered to get herself into such danger. Even worse that he'd had to find out from Manoso. Good job she was leaving Trenton in a few days, he'd be able to keep any eye on her better when they moved into Jack's old apartment together. He stepped into the shower.

As the water washed over him his mind began to wander. He could now see why Ranger and his men were so drawn to her as she'd obviously infected so many people with her crazy personality. Once she got under your skin, you never really recovered.

He began to wonder at the enigma that was his Cupcake. There was so much about her that he'd chosen to ignore – her need for excitement and variety which obviously was a _need_. Not many girls would have followed him into his parent's garage to learn how to play choo choo for example!

Could he tamp down that need so that she would still be happy but settle into the 'Burg lifestyle' that he now craved? Possibly not a voice whispered. He was starting to have serious doubts about whether he was doing the right thing. Could she cope away from the smog and chaos of the life she had made in Trenton?

He finished in the shower, no closer to resolving the thoughts flooding through his head. But he needed her, didn't he? She was fabulous in bed and a wonderful woman. Funny, sexy, nosey, delicious, vibrant, sexy, demanding, good in bed, stubborn...

As he left Steph's apartment, Joe looked round for the last time. In just over a week Steph would be leaving it all behind. As he'd got dressed he convinced himself that it was nerves that had made him doubt that everything would turn out ok. They were good together but could he control her? He still had to discuss this latest escapade with her and her stupid decision to get involved in something that was of no business of hers. He needed her to realise that she couldn't go finding trouble anymore. Once they were married she'd have to calm down. That was a conversation he was not looking forward to having...

He straightened his back and headed back to his new life heading up a new division five hours away from Trenton.

o0o0o0o0o0o

The next morning, Ranger called the meeting to order in Conference Room B. It was the biggest of all the meeting rooms and was full to bursting with Rangeman personnel plus Steph, Joe Juniak and Dave Sewell a director from the FBI who had brought along a court reporter to officially document everything.

The events of the previous three days were listed on Ranger's laptop which was currently beaming onto the screen at the front of the room. As each key event was reached, the appropriate people stood up to recall their actions. Everything was duly annotated by Elaine.

Once it was all recounted, Dave Sewell stood up to thank everyone for their efforts, which had not only returned a lot of people to their loved ones, but looked to have provided enough evidence to smash a huge human trafficking ring that spanned seven other countries. He was a very happy man.

Once Sewell had finished, Ranger stood up to wrap up the meeting and to show his appreciation for a job extremely well done, then he dismissed everyone. As Steph made to leave he caught her arm gently and asked her to have lunch with him and Tank on 7 there was something he wanted to talk to her about. She nodded her consent and said she'd pop up to Ella's to ask her to prepare some lunch. She also said she'd stop for a chat with some of his men and meet him in his apartment at 1.00. He smiled longingly at her back as he watched her leave.

He turned round to find the room empty except for Juniak.

"Can't believe you're letting her go" Juniak said, walking round from the other side of the desk towards the door, looking him in the eye and waiting for a reaction as he continued. "Joe's too focused on his own requirements to be able to really give her what she needs. Unfortunately he needs someone to look after him – I'm not sure that's right for my girl. She's a remarkable woman and needs someone who'll let her fly. Why have you decided to let her go? I may not see everything that goes on between those I work with, but I do have ears and they are large and extremely good at hearing things" he gave Ranger a knowing look "I know what people bet on and it's not all based on when her next car will get blown up, if you get my meaning."

Ranger knew exactly what Juniak meant. "My life doesn't lend itself to relationships. Morelli is at least willing to give her that" he replied stiffly, his blank face giving nothing away.

"Are you really sure that's what she wants?" Juniak persisted, determined to leave Manoso with something to think about. His surrogate niece was too precious to him not to at least make his point completely clear. "She loves you, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, but I can't give her what she needs..."

"Bullshit! I never had you down for a fool, or even worse a coward!" Juniak snorted. "I thought you were better than that." He said waving his hands in the air in frustration and went off in search of the elevator.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Ranger was quiet on his way up to 7. It pained him to think that today would probably be the last time Steph would ever be in his apartment. Could he live with that? He had no choice. She was going in just over a week and the more he thought about it the worse the pain got. He'd made his decision, he wasn't going to complicate her life any more. She didn't deserve any more confusion caused by his poaching or innuendo and he wasn't sure he could give her she really wanted from him.

God it hurt though.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"So what you're saying is that I get 25% of the total reward which to date stands at $389,975? Are you sure? That means I would get nearly $100,000, more if the figure rises! That's ridiculous! You put in so many men and equpiment, you must be out of pocket! She looked to Tank for support, he just looked at her and grinned.

"Actually, it's $97,494 and you earned every penny, though I'd have loved to see you wielding that tie..." Ranger smirked (Ok, so the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, which for Ranger was the equivalent of a full blown belly laugh).

Steph raised her hand to stop him. She really did not want to be reminded of that part of the 'adventure'. She still didn't feel totally clean and she'd had a couple of long and very hot showers since then.

"I'll gladly to take some of the money, but I can't take that much. I wouldn't know what to do with it. Use it to set up Rhianna and Britney. They have nothing and no-one. Their need is much greater than mine. I'll take a maximum of $30,000 and no more. That's my final word!" She said, crossing her arms over her chest to emphasise her declaration.

"Babe." He said. _Only you_, he thought.

Tank's phone rang at that moment and he stood up and wandered off towards the kitchen to answer it.

"Duty calls." Tank said a few moments later snapping his phone shut and returning to the lounge where Steph and Ranger were sat on different couches. So different from the last time she'd been here, he thought. That time she'd been sat round him, on his lap and in his heart. What had happened to let the cop win? He thought sadly. He nodded briefly to them both and left.

Steph's stomach growled "time to feed the beast, Babe" Ranger said standing up and offering his hand to her. She stood up and took it and he led her to the dining table where Ella had laid out a simple but tasty meal of mixed salad leaves, lightly toasted bagels, various cheeses and relishes.

They ate in silence, each in their own sad world, thinking about the end of their friendship and how they would be affected by it. Both knew that they couldn't continue what they had over distance. It would be too painful. Best to let go completely and suffer in the short term rather than let it die a painful and slow death. Half an hour later they left in silence. Ranger headed to 5 and Steph carried on down to the car park. Both in denial. They didn't say goodbye or touch in any way. It would have been too much.

Tears fell silently from Steph's eyes and ran gently down her cheeks.

Ranger cried invisible tears that tore his heart to pieces.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"So, white girl, you gotta tell us the whole story on account of my Tank won't tell me nothin'. He says you needed to tell me yourself. He was so proud of you. Come on spill it – we want every last detail." Lula was seated on the fake leather sofa in the bonds office. Her usual vibrant spandex and lycra combination stretched to capacity. How it didn't explode Steph had never figured out. She was relieved that it hadn't though as she figured that like Humpty Dumpty she'd never be quite the same again.

Connie was loading the coffee machine with beans and begged them to wait until she was back with a fresh brew. Vinnie yelled through his closed door for her to get on with it. He'd obviously hidden a bug so he could hear clearly with the door shut. She didn't want to think about that too closely. Pevert. EEEEwwwwww.

"Ok, Lula, let's wait for Connie. All I will say is thanks for the ho'ing lessons – they came into their own."

Lionel came in at that moment with a body receipt and sank down on the sofa next to Lula "Steph I never had a chance to thank you for all that you did for Rhianna and Britney. They're really coming to terms with all that has happened and already I can see they'll be OK. I'm so pleased that you were willing to help them. You're a saint, a saviour, Wonder Wom..."

At that moment Steph's 'saviour', Connie, came back with a fresh pot of coffee. Steph felt like asking whether everyone was comfortable before she began, but just suppressed a smile and started from the beginning.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Wow!" said Connie.

"You're either completely insane or a hero, or both" said Lionel.

"White girl" said Lula.

"Is there a video?" yelled a breathless Vinnie, still hiding in his office.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Later that day:

Steph needed to talk to someone so decided to go and scrounge dinner at her parents. She arrived at 5.59 to find her mother and Grandmother standing on the porch waiting for her. Yeesh.

"Hi Mum, Hi Grandma" she said as she marched up the path. They stood there smiling at her and waited till she reached them before pulling her into a big three-way hug. Steph was going to miss them so much. Stop it, said Sensible Steph, you've made your decision. Stupid Steph stormed off in a huff, not able to come up with a witty reply.

Later that evening as they tidied up the kitchen Steph took her Mum's hands in her own and pulled her to the table. "Mum, am I doing the right thing?" she asked, looking into her mother's eyes for her reaction to such an important question and sitting them both down.

"Steph, dear, I don't know. If you leave I'll miss you terribly as will lots of other people. But only you and Joe know whether this is the right thing for both of you. Aren't you leaving it pretty late to be having second thoughts though, sweetheart." She asked gently.

"I don't know, Mum. It's just that I'll be leaving so much behind and Joe and I don't have the best track record. What if there's someone else out there that is the perfect fit for me? Am I only going with Joe to stop myself from being alone?"

"Oh, Steph!" Ellen said, getting up from the table and cutting piece of pineapple upside down cake which she plated up and slid and a fork across the table at her daughter. "You can't think like that. You're one of the toughest people I know. You're quite capable of being on your own but I don't think that's the issue here, is it?" She coughed slightly and Steph raised her head which allowed Ellen to look directly into her eyes. "Life is what you make of it. You know better than most that people don't like to be manipulated." Ellen had the grace to look a little sheepish before she continued. "I also know all about your feelings for Ranger and that he's given you everything except a relationship. Can you wait around for him just in case he changes his mind? Don't you think that you deserve better? Joe loves you and wants you in his life. Only you can decide whether that's what's right for you. What if you decide to wait for Ranger to change? What if he doesn't want to or can't? What if you could really build a great life with Joe but decide to chase a dream? Something that might never be? I can't tell you what the right thing to do is. You are the only one who can decide that. But whatever happens, I'll always be here for you. You know that, don't you? Anyway, dear. It's late and you need to get some rest. Go speak to Joe this evening and try to sort out what you want from your life."

With that the alien that had invaded the body of Ellen Plum packed up a bag of leftovers and sent a stunned Steph back home to Rex.

That night Steph braced herself for the Morelli disapproval whirlwind as she dialled Joe's number. They still hadn't talked about her involvement with Brewster...

Instead she got his answerphone.

Damn!

Steph fell asleep in her thinking position. Trying to work out whether it was nerves that were making her have second thoughts or whether it was something else. Whenever she thought of Joe and where he was living her spidey sense went off but she couldn't quite identify the reason why. On top of that, her Mum had thrown her completely with her earlier conversation.

What about Ranger? Oh God, Ranger!

What to do, what to do? A few more days and it would all be over she thought as she drifted off into the Land of Denial where she reigned supreme.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Joe heard the answer machine kick in and sloped over to listen to the caller. He really wasn't up to dealing with Steph right now so he left it to pick up her call. The further away from her he'd driven the more angry he'd become with her for getting involved with Brewster. What if she'd been raped or killed? How could she have put herself in such danger? Why didn't she seem as affected by it all as he was? Didn't she care about her own well being?

Did he even know Steph at all?

He decided that he needed to calm down before he had _that_ conversation. After all, not only had she endangered her life, but he now so far behind on his work again that all the effort into getting ahead seemed pointless.

He stomped downstairs and grabbed a beer out of the fridge.

"Hey, you OK, Joe?" Aly asked, wandering into the kitchen.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Lula?"

"Yeah..."

"Lula, you will visit me won't you? You know, when I move away?"

"Yeah..."

Steph could see her friend wasn't really listening. Crap! She hadn't even left and people were already forgetting her. Would Ranger forget her so easily? That thought caught in her throat and she let out a sob.

Lula turned in her seat and gave her best friend a worried look. "You OK, white girl?" she asked, taking her eyes off the small apartment block they were currently staking out.

"Yeah" she said and broke down in tears, recounting the events of the previous evening between sobs and sniffles.

Joe had called her back a couple of hours after she'd left her message and she could tell he'd had more than a couple of beers. The disapproval conversation that they'd both been dreading was hard and nasty and they'd both gone off into their separate corners to nurse their wounds having finished their phone call on an all time low. She wasn't even sure whether they'd actually said goodbye before hanging up on each other.

Steph had called him back at 2.00 in the morning unable to sleep and she could tell Joe wasn't alone. He'd told her he had fallen asleep on the couch and that he was sorry for all the things he'd said. Somehow she didn't quite believe him. They finished the conversation on a better note and said a much happier goodnight and she'd sloped back to bed where she'd watched the numbers change on her alarm clock for another three hours. Eventually she'd given up all pretence at sleep and gone to watch Rex run round in his soup can.

As she finished recounting her tale, Lula pulled her into her arms "White girl, you need to have this out with Supercop. He can't mess you around at this stage. What if he's been foolin' with you? If it ain't gonna work you need to know NOW!"

They both looked at each other and Steph knew exactly what she had to do.


	10. Chapter 10

Four days to go:

It was getting dark as Steph pulled onto Joe's drive and put her car into park. His SUV was already parked up for the night and so she took a deep breath and straightened her back before getting out. The bright light from the kitchen lit her way as she slowly walked towards the front door. As she passed the kitchen window her breath caught in her throat as she saw what was clearly going on. She fell to the floor and propped herself against the wall as she gathered her thoughts, lost in the shadows of the building. A few minutes passed before she picked herself up and all hunched up she crept back along the pathway and into her car where she quickly turned over the engine and pulled away from the house.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Yo."

"Yo yourself."

"Babe?"

"Sorry, I shouldn't have called."

"You ok? You sound upset?"

"Yeah, sorry, I shouldn't have called. Sorry to disturb you." She hung up.

Ranger stared at his phone then looked at his clock, it was 3.30 in the morning. What was going on that she would call him at 3.30 on her mobile? Why hadn't she called the cop? He'd noticed how sad she'd become over the last few weeks and put it down to her impending move. Perhaps this was to do with that, or perhaps... he couldn't voice it, even to himself. He couldn't give himself any hope, he didn't deserve a second chance, but by God if he got one he'd never let her go. Ever.

He called through to Hal who was working monitors on 5. "Where's Steph?" he asked, mentally tapping his feet impatiently as he waited for an answer.

"At her apartment Boss."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, car's there and her mobile is too."

"Thanks" he said as he got out of bed and quickly pulled some clothes on. What had the fool Morelli done this time?

It took him 8 minutes to get to her apartment and 15 seconds to let himself in. He could hear her on the phone. He decided to listen in from the lounge and settled down on the couch to wait.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Joe, is there something you need to tell me?" she asked her heart was racing. She was sure Mrs Bestler could hear it in her apartment next door. She wanted the truth and she wanted it now. No matter how much it hurt. She couldn't commit to him if he lied. Hey, what was she saying, unless there was a totally plausible explanation, she was through with him. Over the years she's always thought Terri was her rival, how wrong could she have been.

Joe's reply dragged her from her thoughts. "What makes you think that, Cupcake?" he said defensively.

"No reason, other than that I decided to come up and surprise you but when I arrived I could see you were kinda busy in the kitchen. On the island, to be precise."

She heard him groan.

"I'm so sorry Steph..."

"If I hadn't have turned up, would you have told me?"

Silence

"What is it about the men in my life and the tables in communal areas?" she yelled. She waited for him to respond, to say anything, but he didn't, or couldn't.

"How long, Joe? Hmmm? Did you plan to fuck her a few times and then come crawling back to me?"

"It wasn't supposed to happen. I didn't intend..." she heard him sigh "I'm so sorry Steph. I hadn't realised how much this job would take over my life. I'm up to my eyeballs and I'm not even sure that I've even been given all the responsibility yet. Coming back to Trenton last week has really set me back. I'm recruiting as fast as I can, but that takes time that I don't have. I'm drowning and it's killing me. I just needed time out and to relax."

"Bastard!" I spat back. "Was it me or Aly that you were taking for a fool? No, don't answer that, I don't want to know. But why? Could you not keep your dick in your trousers for four months? Four fucking months!" She was losing it and she knew.

Suddenly she knew she wasn't alone. She felt Ranger's presence. Why had she called him? What a stupid thing to do. Now he would know about her humiliation. At that moment a hand settled gently on her shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze, she looked up at its owner and suddenly, she knew it would all be ok and she calmed down enough to finish her talk with Morelli.

"I never meant for this to happen" Joe said, again pulling her back to the conversation "I like Aly and it's not what you think, Steph, honest. We're just friends. She's just here when you're not and she's in pretty much the same boat as me."

Yeah right.

"Joe, you're making it worse! Aly does not deserve to be a substitute, no-one does, including me. I was going to move my life to be with you. I was going to leave my job, my friends and my family to start over with you. I had blind faith in us, how wrong was I? I was prepared to give it all up and become something you wanted. What a fool. I should have known, you're a Morelli man and eventually I knew parts of you would revert to type." She stopped to take a breath and felt Ranger kneel down behind her. He was rubbing her shoulder and back gently and she was starting to lose focus. Focus! Steph!

"But now, we're the past. I won't have a future with someone who's cheated on me, I'm sorry, Joe. It's over."

"Cupcake" he said, whining. Steph hated it when he whined.

Silence. Hey this single word answer thing is quite empowering...

"Please. I just need to get my head round my job."

"Have you slept with her?"

Silence

"Bye, Joe. Good luck."

She put the phone down and turned round to sob into Ranger's arms. He just held her, giving her his warmth and strength, comforting his heartbroken friend.

o0o0o0o0o0o

It had been three months since the breakup and Steph had started to put her life back together.

A lot had happened since then.

Steph phoned her parents the next morning to tell them she wasn't joining Joe. They were very happy that she was not moving away but angry with Joe as to why. She'd told them every detail of what had happened from meeting Rhianna to the end of the conversation with Joe. The only detail she left out was that Ranger was holding her all the time she was talking to them.

Within 15 minutes, Steph was the hero of the piece thanks to the Burg Grapevine and even Angela Morelli couldn't or wouldn't defend Joe's behaviour.

Wonders will never cease, thought Steph when she'd found out later.

Lionel decided to quit Bounty Hunting so Steph resumed her work for Vinnie. Although Lionel had gotten quite good at being a BEA, he decided to move away from the area with his new girlfriend. Girlfriend? Yep, Rhianna. She'd never left his apartment after the Brewster thing and he'd begun to treat Britney as his own. They made a great family. Steph offered them the balance of the reward money but they would only take $20,000 towards Britney's college fund so Steph asked Ranger to invest the rest for her nieces' education, which he did.

Steph did a lot of thinking in a lot of areas and discussed much of it with Ranger, using him as her sounding board – her muse. He'd helped her to sort out her physical as well as mental well being – target practice, self defence and exercise as well as desk based research for Rangeman. Turns out she was getting really good at everything he suggested. Steph wondered whether his good karma was rubbing off on her one day when she managed to park right next to the front door of her apartment building. This was short lived as for the next two weeks she ended up by the dumpster again. Gotta start somewhere he'd told her when she whinged at him about it a few day's later in the gym.

Ranger got called up the week of Thanksgiving and wasn't expecting to be home before Christmas so Steph'd spent her time catching up with her friends and family. On her own again. Not quite what she'd envisaged six months' earlier when she'd still been with Joe but she was much happier than she had expected to be. It hadn't taken her that long to realise that Joe and her wouldn't have made a great future and their breakup was a lucky escape.

She was amazed at how long ago that all seemed now. A lifetime. She'd heard through Eddie that Joe and Aly did not last long. The attraction had only ever been physical and once they'd attained that there was nothing else left. Morelli was totally buried in his work and she felt a slight glimmer of sadness for the lonely life he now had - he was far away from friends and family. And her. One day she hoped they'd be friends but that was a long long way into the future, there was still a lot of anger, from her side at least.

Upon his return from saving the world, Ranger gave Steph a beautifully carved intricate wooden puzzle and told her that there was something precious inside. When the time was right she'd work out how to open it and discover its secret. She'd put it carefully on her bedside table and would spend hours each evening holding it, admiring its beauty and, obviously, trying to figure out its secrets.

Just like the giver, Steph thought.

Ranger had been her rock through everything but had never once over stepped the boundary of friendship. He knew that she needed time to sort her life out and put her heart back together. What he didn't realise was that part of her heart had always belonged to him, so she was almost ready to consider dating again. The only person she wanted to date was her dark knight, but did he want her for more than friendship? Would someday ever come? Could he give her what she wanted? Did he want to? But she realised that he was there for her always and all she hoped was that he'd realise that they could be and should be more than just friends. Everyone around them could see it was only a matter of time before they got it together, bets were furiously changing hands over when that would be.

Last night, she woke with a start from a strange dream that she couldn't quite remember, the only thing she could recall though was a phrase she'd read somewhere:

"He is my world. The air I breathe. His heart beat makes my heart beat. He is my everything."

And then she knew it was time...

**Thanks for your all feedback so far. **

**A lot of what happened to Joe and Steph was based on what happened to me 22 years ago (not sure you ever forget a heart break) but I got my happy ending. Will they?**


	11. Chapter 11

"You're going soft, man" Tank said, taunting his opponent. The two men circled on the mats, crouched slightly and ready for action.

"You reckon?" Ranger replied, waiting for the appropriate moment to strike. He was so sexually frustrated that he was ready to explode.

He needed release.

He couldn't wait much longer for Steph to figure out his puzzle. She had to know how much she meant to him didn't she? God, he needed her so much. In every part of his life, but she was too good for him – he was so depraved in so many ways. She brought out the human in him that had been buried by all the dreadful things his past held. Could she accept him if she knew the truth? Probably not said an inner voice, but still, she loved him. What could that mean?

He needed closure.

Tank could see Ranger was distracted and pounced, knocking the wind out of the smaller man as he fell to the ground. He reached his hand out for Ranger to grab and pulled him back up onto his feet. "Next time I won't be so lenient" he grumbled as he assumed his position again.

o0o0o0o0o0o

An hour later the two men left the gym, sweat glistening from their perfectly sculptured bodies which were wrapped only in stretchy lycra mid thigh sport shorts.

Tank could see something was up. "Want to talk about it, Bro? He asked, expecting a negative answer, however Ranger replied in the affirmative wearing a look on his face that he hadn't seen for a long time but which came as no surprise. Hell, Ranger had been celibate for over two years now whereas practically the whole of the rest of Rangeman was getting laid at least half a dozen times a week. Him included. Tank suspected what was coming, oh boy!

They went into the changing rooms and Ranger led the way towards the showers. "First or second?" he asked as he grabbed some spare towels out of the cupboard on the way. It had been a long time since they'd showered, together.

India.

"Tank, I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate. I love Steph but need more than a quick wank and sex with another woman would feel like cheating." he groaned, pointedly.

"Just like India?" Tank whispered huskily.

"Just like India" Ranger replied as he leant back against the wall of the lockers. He took the bigger man's hand gently, placed it on his clothed erection and closed his eyes momentarily. He stepped away long enough to lock the door with a soft click before turning back towards the cubicles.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph walked into the Bonds Office to find it empty. Strange, she thought, wandering over to Connie's desk to see if there were any clues as to where everyone was.

She heard giggling and fake retching sounds from Vinnie's office and the door burst open.

"That's the grossest thing I ever did see!" spat out a giggling Lula shaking her huge, rounded ample bosom as she marched out of the room. Connie was close on her heels.

"Do I need to ask?" Steph asked with a grimace on her face.

Connie sat down on her chair so hard it made a whoomphing sound and sighed. "Probably not, Steph. We were just curious as to why Vinnie was neighing like a horse with Joyce Bitch-ard earlier. They left real quick and there were strange noises coming from the computer. It would have been rude not to investigate and turn it off for them." She explained. "Wish I hadn't now," looking decidedly green round the edges.

"Trouble is, bit like a car crash, you're drawn to watchin' it, even though you know it's the wrong thing to do..." Lula continued, shaking her head to kill off the images located there.

Steph dropped the bag of donuts and the coffees onto Connie's desk and selected a Boston Creme before anyone else could get a look in.

"Guys I've got a plan I need your help with" she said flopping down onto the couch and looking at two of her greatest allies. At that moment the door opened and Mary Lou, Steph's other greatest ally walked in. "Perfect timing" she said smiling.

Half an hour later Operation Heartbeat had been thrashed out and honed and all the women present were totally on board.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Yo."

"Yo, yourself."

"Babe."

"You know how you keep suggesting that I expand my horizons?"

Ranger thought about his recent locker room exploits and leaned back in his chair, wondering where the conversation was headed. "yeah..."

"How do you fancy joining a film critiqueing club?"

"Babe?"

"I'll take that as a yes then. Good! My place. Thursday evening. 8.30 sharp. No equipment necessary" and with that she put the phone down.

Ranger laid his head on the back of his chair, closed his eyes and sighed. If he didn't love the woman so much he'd wonder what the hell he'd gotten himself into. He hoped she hadn't chosen any porn – the sort of stuff she'd want to watch would probably make him pass out from boredom. He snorted at the absurd idea that it would ever be _that_ kind of film. There was only one thing he'd hate watching more – a sloppy love story. He prayed it wouldn't be that, but he'd do anything for her. Shame she didn't realise. He let out another sigh and sat up, realising that his trousers were tight again. Damn the woman! He couldn't ask Tank to help him out again. That was a definite one-off, certainly when off mission anyway. As it was, neither of them could walk properly right now. He looked back at the paperwork on his desk, his erection began to flag, thank God.

Four hours later he headed up to 7, stopping to say hi to Tank on the way.

"Better now?" Tank said as he looked up from the mountain of paper still on his desk.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Much as I enjoyed the attention earlier, don't ever ask me again off mission. I get more than enough love from Lula. You should sort things out with Bomber, you know."

"I know..." Ranger started to say but was interrupted.

"Ranger, man! That woman loves you. It was obvious all the time she nearly moved away. The thought of leaving you was tearing her apart. Lula told me."

Ranger looked as if he was about to say something but Tank raised his hand.

"Don't reply with any of your 'I don't do relationships' crap! Neither did I, but look at me now. I'm in over my head with an ex 'ho who drives me insane but who I can't live without. You've only one job left to do then you're out of your obligations. One left, that's all. Could be tomorrow, could be in three years time. Don't lose her again. Let her into your life you idiot."

"Finished?" came the reply.

"Yeah."

Ranger made to leave but turned back "I've given her a Grischert love puzzle."

"Well that's a start. Gonna give her any clues how to open it?"

"She'll figure it out."

"And if she doesn't?"

Ranger didn't reply, just snorted.

"Yeah, I forgot who we're dealing with here." He laughed then waived his hand in dismissal and Ranger left to head up to his apartment.

Hector walked through the door to the stairs just as Ranger was opening it. "India, huh? Things must be bad. Just go and get your woman will you?" He said in Spanish as he pushed passed his friend and Boss muttering something about missing out on all the fun.

Ranger wondered who else knew about India. He shrugged his shoulders and climbed the stairs. He knew much worse went on when men were up to their eyeballs in shit and fear.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Tonight, Operation Heartbeat was going live. The target was in sight and she had full back up. OK, so Connie, Lula and Mary Lou, but Ranger didn't know that, did he? Eight hours to go. What would he make of the film choice? Would he and the other men all fall asleep? Could be interesting, but she hoped that the point would be made.

Oh boy...

Steph lay on the bed in her thinking position with the puzzle clutched in her hand, running her fingers over the small round pieces that made up the whole. She knew its shape by heart – it was constructed of a number of small dowling shaped but ornately carved pieces of chocolate brown wood, all coming together but clearly hiding another layer underneath. It reminded her of the colour of Ranger's eyes. She was starting to think it was impossible to open, but somehow she knew Ranger had put something precious inside and was expecting her to open it. So how to get into it? What did it contain? She rolled it between her thumb, index and middle finger staring at it and suddenly realised it was not as even as she'd first thought. She'd only ever placed it on a surface. What if she rolled it? Sitting back up she dropped off the side of the bed and tried to roll it on the floor. It _was_ uneven. What did that mean?

She recalled that rug makers in parts of Greece and Turkey always deliberately made a mistake when weaving so that the finished article could not be as perfect as their God. Hmmm. She rolled it between her fingers again, this time paying more attention to how it felt as a whole. Bingo! She found a tiny bump she hadn't noticed before just on the inner edge of one of the pieces. Pressing it caused the puzzle to change shape and then the top layer simply fell apart. One down, several more to go, she thought happily.

Then she turned her thoughts back to phase 1 as she got up to make lunch.


	12. India

_**I wasn't sure if Ranger wanted you to know about his twisted past but he said it was fine for me to let you know what happened in the showers.**_

_**It's taken a lot of courage (and a very vivid imagination) for me to come up with this!**_

_**It's very kinky (well I think so) so if this is not your thing, then don't read on...**_

_"Just like India" Ranger replied as he leant back against the wall of the lockers. He took the bigger man's hand gently, placed it on his clothed erection and closed his eyes momentarily. He stepped away long enough to lock the door with a soft click before turning back towards the cubicles._

o0o0o0o0o

Ranger gently pushed his shorts down and away from his body and stood with his back to the shower, displaying his impressive erection. Tank's eyes filled with lust as he stripped his own shorts off to display his own throbbing desire. The two men began to circle one another, panthers stalking their prey.

Tank licked his lips. Ranger looked with desire at his friend.

Within seconds the two naked men were pressed together, a carnal lust building between them. Tank growled and bit down on Ranger's lower lip before grabbing his head and pushing his tongue forcefully into his mouth. Ranger responded equally violently and their tongues fought for supremacy.

Tank pulled away breathlessly and pulled the leather strap from Ranger's hair, dropping it to the floor. He ran his hands through his friend's silken tresses then yanked hard to pull his head back, opening his neck up for attention. He was going to bite hard but decided to lick and blow cold air across the skin he found instead. Marks would need to be explained he thought fleetingly. All the time, Ranger never moved, his hands fisted at his side, eyes closed, but his breath was coming in short pants which was turning Tank on even more. He growled deeply as he moved slightly so that he could caress Ranger's impressive chest, trailing his nails scross his skin to create thin lines of scorching heat then he dipped his head and sucked hard on the first nipple he came to. Ranger threw his head back even further and pushed his chest forward.

"That feels good, man" he whispered through clenched teeth, his cock hardening even further with the promise of things to come. He ground his hips into the soft curls on Tank's chest and breathed in the scent of sweat, sex and lust that surrounded them both. Tank trailed one hand down Ranger's thigh then up between and behind his legs and began to massage the firm muscles of his buttocks before dipping between his cheeks and sliding two fingers into the hole that was located there. Ranger jerked then moved to accommodate them and Tank chuckled before pulling out slightly then pushing back in again and again. Ranger groaned as Tank hit his prostate gland harder and harder.

Tank stopped abruptly and withdrew his fingers so that he could continue his assault on Ranger's skin. He slid further down his front, kissing, biting, pinching and licking as he went. As he got closer to Ranger's belly button, Ranger whispered "Now. Please".

Tank nodded to confirm his understanding, picked up the leather strap he'd dropped to the floor and tied it tightly around the base of Ranger's cock and under his balls, guiding him into his mouth and sucking hard. He returned his fingers to their previous home and then began to pump in and out whilst licking and sucking Ranger's firm, soft skin. Ranger looked down at his friend, saying nothing but expressing everything with his eyes. Tank smiled and bit really hard on Ranger's helmet, making his hips buck, before pushing him back roughly against the tiled wall. Ranger let out a low soft groan, thrusting himself forward into Tank's mouth.

"Easy Tiger" Tank growled and continued to bite Ranger hard but after each bite, he sucked and nibbled away the hurt he was causing. Ranger legs almost buckled as the sensations hit him. An intense mixture of pleasure and pain.

He pushed Tank's head down further onto his own. Tank growled. This was what friends did for each other, fulfilling the most basic needs at any level necessary for the recipient to stay sane whilst on-mission. Except today he was doing it for a friend in desperate need. A one-off, but amazing, nevertheless.

Tank continued with his activities for a few more minutes but he could see Ranger straining and needing release so stood up, reluctantly pulling away slightly so that he could undo the cord that had grown even tighter around his friend's cock, leaving an angry red mark. He turned away so that his back was facing Ranger and firmly planted his hands on the wall in front of him, moving his legs apart and arching his back. "All yours, Big Boy" he said over his shoulder, grinning. Ranger wasted no time in settling himself over Tank and thrusting into his puckered hole.

"So tight, so willing..." Ranger muttered, holiding ontoTank's hips, pumping in and out, faster and faster. He leant forward and grabbed Tank's balls, kneading them as his passion flared. Tank reached down and took the hand away, bringing it up to his mouth where he began to roughly suck and nibble the sensitive ends.

Tank could feel Ranger swell inside him as his orgasm hit and he changed position slightly to take Ranger's weight as his body sagged, spent and boneless.

"Thank you" Ranger panted out a few moments later, lifting himself off his friend.

Tank turned round "My turn" he purred, stroking his penis and pushing Ranger to his knees. Ranger growled and licked his lips in response, opening his mouth in readiness for the pleasure he was about to repay...

**I'm not sick (Ok, so perhaps my imagination might be) but I warned you it was weird stuff!**


	13. Chapter 13

Mary Lou and Lenny were the first to arrive, clutching several bottles of beer, a bottle of wine and a large bag of tortilla chips. Steph waived them into her small lounge and told them to take a seat as she went into the kitchen to sort out drinks.

"Nice layout!" yelled Mary Lou, giggling. Steph walked through to the lounge and chuckled at her best friend's reaction. She'd moved all the large pieces of furniture, Ok, the sofa and coffee table, out to the edges, and she'd begged a load of dining chairs from her neighbours and set up rows. Each far enough away from the next to make it obvious if someone started necking or, God forbid, fell asleep.

Mary Lou was perched middle row, centre to get the best view of the TV, which Steph had raised up, using some large books so that everyone at the back would still be able to see. She planned to put Tank and Cal at the back as they were the tallest and would be the most difficult to see past.

Lenny walked over and grabbed the beers from Steph with one hand and the big bowl of popcorn that she'd been holding with the other before walking back to his wife.

Ding Dong! Went the door bell and Steph left to open it. She could hear Lenny saying something that must be amusing her best friend as Mary Lou was laughing, fit to burst. The ambience was that of relaxed curiousity which pleased Steph greatly.

The door opened to reveal Tank, Lula, Cal and Connie who came barrelling in, again loaded with consumable gifts.

"Thanks" said Steph, disappearing under the bags, cans and bottles. Her latest arrivals set off towards her lounge leaving her wondering what she would drop first.

"I'll help you with that, Babe" came a familiar voice as tingles ran down Steph's neck and she was relieved of some of her load. She followed him into the kitchen grateful for her hero's help, his close proximity playing havoc with her hormones. The simple act Ranger'd just performed was so relaxed and somehow familiar. She could get used to having him around. Oh, she hoped Operation Heartbeat would work.

She really wanted him to open up, sure there was a sexual pull between them but could she get him to give her more than that? He'd told her his life didn't lend itself to relationships, his love came with a condom, not with a ring. Yada, yada, yada said Stupid Steph. Sensible Steph hit her upside her head then folded her arms crossly, tapping her feet.

She dumped the armload of food she was carrying on the kitchen work surface and turned round. .God! She thought. Ranger was wearing a pair of form fitting dark navy jeans that were obviously designed to hug in all the right places. Could you buy tailor made jeans? She thought. She sure as hell wanted a pair. The pale green linen shirt he was wearing was not tucked in or buttoned up and he'd rolled the sleeves up to expose his beautiful muscular arms. Underneath he was wearing a white t-shirt that clung provocatively to his taut frame. His hair was loose tonight and lay softly behind the top of his shoulders. It was easily as long as hers and she longed to run her hands through its silkiness.

She felt decidedly dowdy in her low rise mid blue jeans, plain blue t-shirt and navy Abercrombie knock-off hoodie.

"Earth to Babe" he whispered softly sensing her lust, his eyes darkening in response.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" she stuttered as his words brought her back to reality.

"Do you want me to take any of this through to the other room?"

"Er, yes, I mean no, er, I don't mind" she replied. He smiled from his eyes down to his mouth and she looked longingly at his beautiful teeth.

"See something you like" he said as he slid into her personal space and brushed himself past her, pulling her into his forcefield. The tension in the room was electric and she wanted to throw him to the floor and ride him like Zorro but just at that moment she heard "Hello? Is there anyone at home?" and she realised she'd left the front door open. Ranger continued past her and went to welcome Bobby and his girlfriend Stella in.

Steph pulled her hormone frazzled, boneless body back together and wandered through to say hi.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph stood up at in front of her friends "Ok everyone, thanks for coming" she started once everyone was settled "I've two films up for critiqueing tonight. The first option is a sequel and if you haven't seen Twilight we'll have to leave New Moon until next week. The second is a period drama Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightly."

Several groans could be heard round the room as the second film was announced. "Ok, who's not seen Twilight?" Several hands went up. "Sorry, looks like Pride and Prejudice it is then. We'll watch New Moon next week so if you haven't already seen its predecessor please do so between now and then. The week after that I've got something a bit more aggressive for the boys amongst us. Terminator. Hope that works for everyone." There were several sighs of relief round the room and Steph did a mental happy dance.

Ranger was laughing inside as Steph loaded up the DVD player and sat down next to him. "Only you, Babe" he whispered in her ear before settling in for an hour and a half's torture.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"So, what did we all think?" Steph started.

"I need another beer before I say anything" Tank said gruffly. Bobby and Lenny asked for refills too so he wandered off in the direction of the kitchen. Connie went off to answer the call of nature.

"Let's move the furniture round so that it's a bit more friendly" said May Lou, pushing Lenny towards the sofa. All the men began shuffling chairs, the sofa and the coffee table into a more sociable configuration.

"Babe, let's have it at Haywood on 7 next week, I've more space" said Ranger as he stacked up some of the chairs in a corner.

Hurray! Phase 1a can take place! Thought Steph before casually replying "sounds good to me".

She could tell he was pleased with her reply as the corners of his lips turned up slightly. Was he laughing at her, she wondered. Did he have any clue as to what she was up to? She hoped it wouldn't be long before he got her message. Her plan included plenty of other hints to come over the few weeks. She really wanted him to realise that dating was an option but she didn't want him to think it was only sex she wanted him for. He knew what she thought of him physically. Would it take him long to work out the mental thing? Would he take off into the wind at the suggestion of a relationship? Could she set out her stall without frightening him away for good? She needed his friendship, would he want to be more than that to her? What if he pulled away and left her with nothing of him? She shuddered slightly and hid the thought away in Denial Land.

Tank came back in, laden with goodies which he handed out. He sat down on the floor with his legs out straight leant back on the arm of the sofa and motioned to Lula to join him. He pulled her onto his lap and snuggled his face into her hair which currently was a soft red ringlet affair which matched her spandex jumpsuit completely. He then picked up his beer and took a long swig. She could tell he was not looking forward to the discussion phase of this evening. She wondered what 'goodies' Lula had bribed him with. She shook her head, she really did NOT want to know!

Steph realised that the only space not occupied was on the sofa. It was a particularly small space, next to Ranger. Should she take it or settle down on the floor? Ranger could see her dilemma and moved off to sit next to Tank, effectively solving the problem for her. He didn't want to push or crowd her. After all, she was still on the rebound. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"It's either that or you sit on my lap" he replied, wolf grin in place.

She sat down quickly and curled her legs up under her. Even from the safe distance that she was away from him, Playful Ranger was a handful. Oh boy! To keep her hands busy she picked at the label on her bottle then looked up and noticed that Ranger was gazing at her, running his finger across the top of his Corona. Focus! Said Sensible Steph.

"So, any comments?" Steph began.

"Soft mushy rubbish" Lenny said.

"If you can't say anything positive, don't say anything at all" snipped May-Lou, glaring at him and giving him a non-too friendly shove.

"I think Darcy was a fool" Bobby stated with a blank look on his face, folding his arms to make the point.

"How so?" Steph asked. Important point #1! Tee hee, this was going exactly to plan.

"He loved her from the first time he saw her but didn't want to get it on with her as she wasn't from his background" he continued.

B.I.N.G.O! Steph smiled to herself. She looked at Lula who had a smug look on her face. Operation Heartbeat Phase 1 was definitely underway...

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Interesting evening, Babe" Ranger said several hours later as he helped her tidy up after everyone had left. Lenny had had to carry Mary-Lou as she'd drunk far too much and a couple of the Rangemen didn't look too far behind her. The discussion had gone on for just over an hour and had covered several key points. Love, trust, relationships and self realisation being some of the key components. Plus, and these were the two points that Steph had been so keen to explore, Eliza Bennett was nobody's doormat, a woman of free will, determined not to be pigeonholed and Darcy had learned to trust his own feelings too and allow himself to be loved and to love.

"So, next week's New Moon, then it's Terminator, what other gems have you got up your sleeve?"

He was obviously enjoying her playlist so far. How much more would she need to reveal to him? She didn't reply, just smiled sweetly at him, blinking.

"I've not seen Twilight yet, have you got a copy?" he continued once he realised she wasn't going to tell him.

"Yeah, I'll get it for you before you leave" she said, taking the last couple of empty wine glasses towards the kitchen. She purposefully hadn't drunk too much as she wanted to be in control of the evening.

Ranger followed her, empty pop corn bowl in hand. He was just inside her comfort zone and was making her warm up in places that had no right to betray her to him. He must be able to smell my arousal, she thought. After all, her panties had been ruined hours earlier and the want and ache had not subsided all evening.

"Oh, guess what?" Steph said.

"What?"

Steph held up a pile of ornately carved wooden sticks.

"Proud of you Babe" said Ranger, smiling.

She turned back to the work surface to put the contents of her hands down, dipping her head as she did so. He gently pushed her up against the counter top, trapping her by placing his hands on the work surface either side of her hips, her back was to his front.

"Babe, will you watch Twilight with me?" he whispered into her ear, licking the edge of her sensitive shell.

She gulped.

"Breathe, Steph" he whispered huskily. She could feel his arousal against her ass.

Too soon! You need him to commit to you! Her mind screamed.

She leaned back into him, closing her eyes and feeling his warmth against her back. His arms snaked round her and crossed over her stomach, pulling her further into him, he buried his head in her curls and she thought she heard a sigh as he inhaled her scent. He began to kiss the outline of her ear again and she nearly collapsed with the sensation it created. Stop! Sensible Steph screamed. Stupid Steph was feeling frisky and was leaping for joy.

He turned her round and gently placed his lips on hers. She raised her hands and cupped his face, running her thumbs over his cheeks, caressing his stubble. He deepened the kiss and she replied hungrily. His hands were in her hair, dragging her further into his mouth. Then he stopped and pulled back. She opened her eyes in surprise.

"Do you want me to continue?" he asked breathlessly "because if I do, I'm not leaving tonight." He was staring into her eyes, searching for the answer.

Sensible Steph was now doing a happy dance and Stupid Steph was hitting and kicking her.

"No, you need to go before we both do something we may regret tomorrow" she said, pulling herself out of his embrace. Her heart wouldn't cope if he upped and left in the morning.

Ranger put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently before nodding his head in acceptance of her decision, then he turned around and walked out.

Steph closed her eyes. It was too soon and she didn't know what his intentions were. God! He was such a good man, if only he knew how good he really was. She sighed loudly then finished loading the dishwasher and turned it on and went in search of her shower massager.

Ranger stood in the corridor outside Steph's apartment with his fists, forearms and forehead on the wall, waiting for his heart to calm down. His legs were back from the wall and apart, one leg bent so that he was resting on the other hip. He couldn't believe what he had just done. He'd been so close to picking her up and taking her into her bedroom. One night would not have been enough to show her how much he loved her.

He wanted her for a life time, but she'd only been broken up with the cop for three months. She still needed time to get over him and Ranger wasn't going to be a rebound relationship.

It was too soon!

He wanted her.

Forever.

But would she be able to accept him, good and bad. Ugly past and all? Only time would tell, but he wished it would hurry up and get to the point where everything would fall into place.

He wanted Stephanie Plum and he was determined to get her. Have her. Be with her.

Forever.

His mind wandered back through the evening. Why had she decided to host a film critiqueing night? Was there any significance to picking Pride and Prejudice? Hell, he'd read it at school as part of English Literature. He'd hated it then, but somehow this evening he'd realised how subtle a message it was giving. Could he be Darcy? He had a habit of being controlling, OK, so he was a control freak. Was Elizabeth's cousin Mr Collins, Morelli? Suddenly he really wanted to watch Twilight, he realised that something was going on in a certain beautiful head and he was now very intrigued as to where this 'film club' was headed.

He stood up and scratched his chin. Perhaps she was over the cop after all. Hmmm interesting he thought as he strode down the corridor and towards the stairs.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews, please keep them coming. I keep meaning to thank everyone personally, but that would get in the way of writing my story and as I only have a very limited amount of time to write, I felt you'd prefer me to get on with things.**

**I may not be able to post much for a couple of weeks or so after this chapter. The kids have broken up for the Easter holidays so we'll be out and about for the next three weeks, hold on though. The next chapter is half written (in my head anyway) so I hope to get something out again soon.**

**Cheers, Sarah xxx**

"Hi guys" said Steph, walking into the Bonds Office the next morning, dropping the bag of MacDonald's greasy goodness she'd been carrying onto Connie's desk with a muffled thud. Connie groaned and dropped her head into her hands and in one fluid movement slid down onto the desk so that her whole upper body was lying over it. Steph chuckled, patted her shoulder gently then went to grab some coffee.

Vinnie opened the door to his office to see who'd walked in. Spotting his cousin he turned and glared at Connie as he dropped some paperwork on the bit of desk he could reach then he returned to his lair, slamming the door in disapproval of Connie's current situation as he locked himself in with a loud click.

Steph walked back with two cups of steaming caffeinated goodness and plonked one down in front of her ailing friend, a grin on her face, giving Connie a quick poke to alert her to its existence. She was watching in fascination as the coffee sploshed in the mug then splashed a few drops over the top but her reveree was soon interrupted when she heard noises from the inner sanctum. Connie raised her head and the two women grimaced at each other. Connie, reached under her desk for a small radio she kept in her bag just for such an occasion, turning it on and adjusting the volume to drown out the noises from behind the wall. Then they turned their attention to the bag containing the cure.

Steph sat quietly for a few minutes munching her fires when felt a familiar tingle on her neck and turned around as Batman sauntered into the room. "Glad to see you're aware of your surroundings. Proud of you, Babe" he said as he grinned at her, walking towards the desk supporting Connie's crumpled body. She had collapsed again with the effort required to mask the noises emanating from Vinnie's office and the consumption of the essential food groups – fat, sugar, carbohydrate and salt.

"Any files for me today?" he asked before walking further into the room and checking out Connie's prostrate form. He prodded her shoulder gently but all he got in reply was a muffled groan followed by a soft "no". He grinned again. "Have you got a minute? Outside" he said, gesturing for Steph to follow him into the alley.

Nothing changes Steph thought as she followed him into the cool dark stillness.

Ranger gently threaded his fingers through hers and pulled her towards him. Interesting she thought after a few seconds of silence, he's not forced me against the wall and tried to suck my face off. Hmm...

"I can smell burning, Babe" he said, ghosting her mouth with his own before stepping back away from her slightly, fingers still entwined.

She smiled and waited.

Ranger continued "Are you free on Sunday to watch Twilight? 8-ish?"

"Can't, I've got to go for dinner at my parents at 6.00."

"How about I come with you then afterwards you watch the film with me at my place."

"I thought you needed to be dead to go there again?"

"Desperate times mean desperate measures."

Steph looked at him. He was definitely laughing at her. Pig!

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would you come to my parents for dinner – it's always a bit scary."

"Told you, I'm desperate. I've promised this girl that I'd watch a film before I meet up with her next Thursday and I don't break my promises."

"Boy, she must be worth it."

"Could say that." Ranger was now giving her a wolf grin and raising one eyebrow which was making her feel all flustered again.

Damn forcefield! Quick get back to the subject of Sunday. "Seems a bit daft to pick me up, drive to my parents, drive to yours then take me home again afterwards."

"Who said anything about you going home afterwards?" he said wolf grin still firmly in place.

"What about this other girl?"

"Oh, I'm sure she'd understand" he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Steph felt her throat constrict and her southern hemisphere warm up. "Ranger! You know it's too soon" I need Operation Heartbeat to work its magic...

"Can't blame me for trying" he said, wolf grin still firmly in place. "Ok, so we could go to your parents if you promise to protect me from your Grand mother and then we can watch the move at your place."

"Seems like a plan" Steph replied.

Ranger squeezed her fingers again then turned and left her. Pulling his hands away slowly from hers, watching as their fingers drifted apart. Inwardly he was grinning to himself. He'd failed to add that he might not leave on Sunday evening and Steph hadn't noticed. He got into his Explorer and pulled out of the car park and into the Trenton mid-morning traffic as he gave himself a mental high five.

Steph shook her head. What had just happened? Ranger'd been the perfect gentleman! Not his usual style at all. After all he was an opportunist but today he seemed to be almost gallant in his treatment of her. She turned back towards the office, stepping out of the shadows, mentally chewing over the fact that 1) he'd failed to mention whether he'd intended to use Twilight as an excuse to try and stay and 2) that she'd not pulled him up on it.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Sunday evening came around quickly and Ranger arrived promptly at 5.35, just as Steph was applying her final layer of mascara. She couldn't decide whether she needed courage to see her through dinner or for the film afterwards.

She'd dressed simply in a knee length denim skirt and a deep pink short sleeved t-shirt which had a layer of small frills at the neck. It was sexy and suggested a cleavage but was not slutty enough to have her mother crossing herself or heading for the iron. Since the evening with the rum custard, Ellen had banned alcohol from the house. Not such a bad idea when she thought about it, although she knew her grandmother still had her secret stash in her wardrobe. A soft denim jacket and black canvas mary janes completed the look.

Ranger was dressed as 'typical boy next door' tonight. Tight white t-shirt under a fitted faded denim blue hoodie. Denim jeans that fitted but did not cling in quite the same way as the pair he'd been wearing on Thursday night did completed the look. Probably a sensible move, Steph thought, pictures of her grandmother's fingers popping into her head. She stifled a giggle.

Ranger looked at her with puzzlement "Anything you'd care to share? Did I forget to brush my hair?"

"No, you'll do" she replied, looking at his silken tresses that hung down deliciously, not wanting to share her thoughts on how she wanted to run her fingers through them and hold onto them as he... She blushed which gave the game away anyway.

"Babe" Ranger said, pulling her towards him for a gentle kiss.

Before he had a chance to touch her with his lips, Steph danced round him "Can't be late, Batman!"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him out into the corridor.

o0o0o0o0o0o

For once, dinner was a success. There was just the five of them and Ranger even sampled a tiny piece of pineapple upside down cake. Ellen had taken to serving it at least twice a month for Steph since the breakup with Joe.

Her way of telling Steph she loved her. Awwww!

They left without incident or rude comment just before 8. Ranger had helped with the dishes until he'd been forced out of the kitchen to watch the game with Frank. Ellen and Grandma Mazur had wisely kept their thoughts on their guest to themselves. Steph was pleased that she wasn't being fitted up for a wedding dress or the latest sex toy. In fact they just talked about something and nothing, enjoying each other for who they were.

The women in her life sometimes surprised her greatly. Tonight had been a case in point. At times like this, she wondered how she could ever have contemplated leaving Trenton.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Steph asked as she loaded the DVD into her machine.

"How bad can it be, Babe?" Ranger said, settling himself down on the couch with two beers, inwardly flinching.

Steph picked up the remote and wandered over to him, taking the beer and sitting next to him, dragging a cushion onto her lap and curling her legs up under herself.

Ranger took this as a sign that he was to concentrate. Roll on and hour and a half, he thought to himself grimly.

Steph glanced in his direction, took a long swig on her drink for courage then pressed 'play'.

o0o0o0o0o0o

The film finished and Ranger sat quietly for a few seconds before turning to Steph. "Deep" was all he could think of to say.

Steph looked at him, waiting for him to say more.

Ranger stood up "I think I'd better go now" he added. Clearly affected by the message the film relayed. Did she really see him as a tortured soul? He wanted to ask her if the film club was all for his benefit, but was scared to do so. He'd like to think yes, but knew that Steph was so unpredictable that the answer might be no.

He gave her hair a ruffle and let himself out.

Shit, shit, shit! Sensible Steph railed. He wasn't supposed to go all monosyllabic on her. Not tonight, not after that film. Stupid Steph was hiccupping and crying at the same time.

What to do.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"So, Boss, how did it go?" Tank asked when he found Ranger in the gym an hour later.

"Don't ask" Ranger replied gruffly.

"Dinner that bad, eh?" Tank grinned.

Ranger hadn't told him that he'd been going to Steph's afterwards to see Twilight.

"Ever wondered if you're being set up?" Ranger said, shaking his head, and picking up his towel.

"All the time." Came the reply. "Isn't it fun!"

Ranger didn't reply. He just went up to 7, deep in thought.


	15. Chapter 15

**This was so finished in my head I had to let you have it - the kids be damned (Ok, so I wrote it after they'd gone to bed, but Ranger's badass attitude is wearing off on me - or so _he_ says...)**

**Thanks for your wonderful feedback.**

**xx**

Ranger stood in the dark of his kitchen, contemplating whether to get himself a drink or not. He reached a decision and opened the fridge, relishing the cool air as it blasted over him then reached in and grabbed a bottle of water. As he did so his hand brushed past a can of Pepsi, he chuckled to himself. She _was_ all around him. Perhaps he needed to step things up a bit.

For the first time in a long while, he slept long and deep that night and in the morning, as he showered, nearly picking up her shower gel by mistake, he had formulated a plan. He thought about giving it a name – Operation Wonder Woman came to mind – but if Steph ever found out that he'd contemplated giving it a name... well all he could think is that she'd think he was going soft! Badass Bounty hunter turns soppy! He could see it now – he'd never live it down. He chuckled as he towelled himself dry, dressed in badass black then picked up the phone.

"Babe?"

"Yo."

"That's my line."

"I know, so sue me."

"Babe."

"Are we going somewhere with this conversation, it's early and I need to use the bathroom."

"Too much information, Babe!"

"Ranger, what do you want? I need to pee!"

"Babe!"

"Ranger!"

"Sorry! I'm just imagining you all mussed up from sleep, in my t-shirt and a pair of ..."

"Ranger! Focus!"

Small cough "Sorry, Babe. Are you free tomorrow afternoon - thought I'd expand your horizons. Can I pick you up at 2.15?"

"Sure. Where are we going? What should I wear?"

"Think High Tea at the Ritz, London."

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Mary Lou, what am I going to wear?" Steph whined, as she paced round her friend's kitchen, later that day, waving her hands about to try and calm herself.

"No idea!" came the frantic reply.

"What's 'high tea' anyway?" they both looked blankly at each other, Mary Lou shrugged her shoulders, smiling ruefully.

Neither had any idea what it was, never mind what you wore to High Tea at the Ritz, London. Did you need your tiara? Crap! Thought Steph, she knew she should have paid more attention to the Royal Weddings – Diana, was it? Andrew, perhaps or was it Edward and wasn't there a Camilla in there somewhere? Too late now, though, she thought darkly.

The two friends looked at each other, a single thought crossing both minds at once. "Google!" they both yelled at the same time, jumping up and down, squealing and holding hands.

"So, it would appear you need smarter smart casual" said Mary Lou as they stepped out of her house half an hour later. Lenny had volunteered to do the school run so that the two women could go on their mission of mercy. They headed for Macy's thinking that they'd probably find what they wanted there and after two hours they'd found _the_ outfit.

"How am I supposed to afford this?" Steph wailed softly so that only Mary Lou could hear. Her rent was due in a week and if she didn't buy the 3 inch patent leather Mary Janes. Or the tailored black woollen trousers. Or the cream turtle neck lightweight jumper. Or even the long pale blue cashmere drop fronted cardigan, she'd be fine. If she just bought the long beaded necklace and earrings she could afford to eat all week. Buying the clutch bag meant she would have to eat at her parents' until the end of the month, but hey, Ranger was worth it, wasn't he?

She gave Mary Lou a silly grin as she bought the complete outfit anyway - she'd worry about money later. Hey, Denial Land was warm and sunny at this time of the year and she hadn't been there for a few days, so a road trip was allowed, wasn't it?

They went for a celebratory drink and some not so 'high tea' before heading home to their separate lives. Ok, so they had pizza and a beer then they gave each other a big hug. Mary Lou then returned home to chaos and Steph to peace and tranquillity.

Days like this Steph wished her life had more real purpose. Sure, she didn't want kids right now but Mary Lou had told her that the moment after she gave birth her life suddenly made absolute sense and that when she'd held her son to her breast for the first time she realised what a miracle a new born life really was and she fell totally, utterly and unconditionally in love. Would Steph ever feel that way? Would she ever get the chance? She wanted a relationship with Ranger, but would they, could they ever complete each other, maybe even go on to have a family ? One step at a time, Sensible Steph said, _he_ has to want a relationship with _you_. What do you call the date with Ranger? Asked stupid Steph, pouting. Good point, well made she thought as she hung the clothes up on the outside of her wardrobe door then turned in for the night, grabbing the wooden puzzle from her bedside table as she lay down on her less than perfect sheets.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph barrelled into the Office, it was 9.15am. She had just three hours to catch at least one felon or she'd have to sell her body to cover her rent. OK, so she could work for Ranger, but she didn't want to appear desperate. He might change his feelings towards her to that of pity if he found her homeless in a cardboard box by the highway.

Pity was the one emotion she never wanted Ranger to feel for her.

Ever. She flinched at that thought then turned to her friend.

"Got anything Connie?" She asked, fingers crossed behind her back.

"Mooner and Dougie both need to be brought back into the system."

Great, but they'd require at least one to two hours of her time to watch some marathon TV show or other. She decided to skip these two options. Steph started to panic. "Anything else?" please...

"I've one other that you may be interested in, but he's a bit of a lunatic."

"Okaaaay, define lunatic."

"He's really into sticky substances and likes to get naked."

"Ewwww, what did he do?"

"Glued a school's doors shut before school started so that none of the kids or teachers could get in, then proceeded to do a strip in the playground, much to the horror of his audience."

"Sounds like 'fun'. What's his bond?" said Steph, putting quote marks round the word fun.

"You'd get $1,800 for bringing Buster Black in."

"He'll do – I need to cover my rent and my credit card took a battering yesterday." She added.

"Babe."

"Christ, Ranger! Why can't you wear a bell or something? You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Steph yelled as she turned to see her man of mystery striding in through the door. She gave Connie a look – had he overheard their conversation? "No" Connie mouthed to her. Thank God for small mercies, she thought.

"Sorry." He did actually look slightly guilty for sneaking up on her – wow! Thought Steph.

"Got a minute?" he said, putting a hand on her shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. Her knees went weak. How could such a simple gesture turn her into jelly?

She followed him outside and into the alley.

"I thought that as your birthday was coming up I'd like to give you some money for the clothes you will need to buy for all the things I've got planned."

She cocked her head to one side slightly. "I didn't agree to go on a date with you expecting you to kit me out" she bristled, hands firmly planted on her hips.

"Babe, that's not what I meant. I bet your Mum gave you money for clothes for your birthday when you were a kid, didn't she? And part of the fun was going out with your friends and choosing something, wasn't it? "

"Yeeeeessssss" she replied, wondering where he was going with this.

"If I just bought you a pile of clothes for your birthday, telling you they were for use when expanding your horizons, I'd be missing an opportunity because you wouldn't have to really think about the things I've got planned. I'd be spoon feeding you. You wouldn't have to investigate or choose your own outfits and I'd be manipulating part of the experience for you." He'd placed a heavy emphasis on the word choose. He continued. "Babe, did you have any idea what I meant by high tea at the Ritz, London?" he paused slightly "be honest with me, please."

How could she refuse? "No, none whatsoever" she replied, cagily.

"Bet you had fun finding out though, didn't you?"

She nodded her head, smiling now, understanding what he was trying to tell her. He was offering her the chance to fully experience things – without being forced, bullied or coerced into anything. He was not trying to change her, he was trying to help her fly and better still he was offering to pay for her flying lessons.

"Ok, Ranger. But I'm not totally comfortable with you paying for everything though..."

He cut her off, waving his hand to make her stop. "Babe, I have more than enough money that I can afford to spoil you, can't I? Just a little" he said holding his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart for emphasis. He gave her a wolf grin "And seeing as I don't seem to be able to get into your bed, at least allow me to indulge you in other ways." He raised an eyebrow and his eyes darkened as he pulled her into him, inhaling her smell as he nuzzled her hair.

"Ok, ok! I give in" she giggled.

"Babe! Thank you" he said, pulling away from her slightly. She looked up at him and noticed that his eyes were laughing tenderly with her own.

Steph pulled away "Ranger, I really need to go." She blurted out – she needed to get away now before she said something stupid "I've a couple of skips to catch before I can go home and change for our date this afternoon."

"Only you, Babe. I'll squirt some money into your account" he said. He nodded, patted her backside gently then left the alleyway at a slight trot.

Round one to me, they both thought, smiling.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Yo"

"Yo yourself"

"Can you move $5,000 from my personal account to Steph's."

"When by?"

"Yesterday."

"Consider it done."

Tank put the phone down. What was Ranger up to? He hoped he was getting his head out of his arse and sorting out his relationship with Bomber. He suspected the feelings were mutual and that life would be much better for everyone if two of the people Tank held most dear would hurry up and get their act together.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Why me, why. On. Earth. Me?" Steph yelled to no-one in particular, raising her eyes and hands heaven-wards as she stepped into the shower.

"What made me so stupid as to think I'd take Black out that easily?" she continued to rant out loud as she looked down at the bruise that was forming on her hip. It was just in the wrong place and hurt like hell. Least she could keep it covered under her new trousers.

She _had_ got him though. Buster Black.

He'd been stupid enough to hide in his own house so it hadn't taken her long to track him down. That had been the easy bit. The trouble had arisen when she'd knocked on the door – he'd obviously been tipped off as he's put glue on the door bell. Unluckily for him though, it wasn't tacky enough so she'd been able to pull her finger off. If she'd been two minutes later it would have developed further and she'd still be stuck there, or she'd have had to call someone and they'd have turned up and fallen about laughing, taken photos for the gossip mongers or fellow betters and phoned the Burg Grapevine all before assisting her. Anyway, Black ran like an Olympic athlete and she'd had to follow him down the path at the end of the garden, they'd both slid in mud from the unmade track that it turned into and she'd taken a tumble onto a large gnarly root. Black had slowed slightly as he turned to look at her when she'd sworn, rather loudly, then tripped and twisted his ankle on an even bigger one. By the time she'd hauled him to the station, complete with hugely swollen ankle, the mud they were both covered in had dried.

She'd bumped into Costanza as she was leaving who'd made some comment that the Snake Pit had re-opened and was looking for new wrestlers. She flipped him the bird, glared and stomped out of the building.

She nursed her hip as she recalled the beginning of her day.

On the upside though, she'd had time to pop into the lads' and see if they were free. They'd just finished a marathon I dream of Jeannie session so she was able to retrace her steps to the station and drop them off too. Unfortunately, though the second trip meant that all those who'd not seen Steph covered in mud got a chance to see what they'd missed earlier.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Ranger pulled into the car park and honked his horn. Steph leaned out of the window and motioned for him to stay there. All she needed to do was to put her earrings in and she was good to go. She gave herself a final once over, patted a stray curl into place and raced out of the apartment.

"Nice" Ranger said, running his eyes up and down the vision that had reached the open door of his car. Steph smiled and settled into the Porsche.

o0o0o0o0o0o

After about half an hour they drew up to the front of a large beautiful old house made of pale grey stone. They came to a stop under an enormous castellated flat roof that was supported by huge archways making up three sides of a square, the fourth side being the house itself. Ahead of her Steph could see several topiaried bushes in geometric shapes dotted across the vast lawns that disappeared round the back of the building. Coming up the long drive, Steph had gaped in wonder at several tall and elegant gable ends that made up the roof line and sat on top of long leaded light windows which sparkled as the afternoon sun shone on their many facets. Wow, thought Steph as she smiled nervously at Ranger. He reached over and gave her hand a small squeeze and smiled back, trying to reassure her.

A man in a frock coat and top hat opened her door and helped her out before shutting it and leading her to Ranger who had also climbed out. This was the first time Steph had had a chance to look at Ranger properly since this morning and now he was dressed in dark grey tailored trousers, a pale blue Oxford weave shirt, dark blue tie with some sort of army crest on it and dark grey and blue sports jacket. Black shiny loafers peeped out from the ends of his trousers. Steph wanted to start there and work her way up to...

Ranger smiled at her, reading her thoughts. "Maybe later, Babe" he breathed into her ear as he reached forward and kissed her cheek. She nearly melted in a pile of goo. Damn his ESP!

Ranger laughed as he passed his keys to the valet then putting his hand into the small of her back he gently guided her towards the stairs that led up and into the house.

The inside of the building was surprisingly light and bright. The vast entrance hall they found themselves in was painted in light creams and golds and the broad runner that covered large parts of the wooden floor was burgundy with gold diamonds all over it. A large reception desk filled the area under the ornately carved wooden staircase that split in two halfway up before heading off in opposite directions to the floor above . Ranger guided Steph towards it.

Steph paid little attention to the conversation Ranger had with the young woman behind the desk as she was busy taking in her surroundings, but a few moments later they were led away by a smartly dressed man wearing tuxedo tails and through a large archway into the most elegant dining room Steph had ever seen in her life. She picked her chin up off the floor and turned to see Ranger studying her. Moments later they were seated at a round table for two near a large window that faced out over the back of the gardens giving them a lovely view over the lawns and towards a large fountain. Attached to the side of their table was another smaller one which housed a delicate silver 3-tier cake stand. Steph's mouth watered as she looked at the tiny sandwiches, scones and pastries that it held.

Ranger covered the hand that lay closest to him on the table and squeezed it to get her attention. "Like what you see, Babe?" he asked grinning. She grinned back at him.

"Let's get some tea to go with that little lot, shall we?" he said, nodding his head in the direction of the small treats that Steph was busy lusting after, her stomach growled in anticipation of what was to come.

"Only you, Babe!" Ranger smirked before returning to the menu he was holding.

A few moments later a waiter appeared and took their order. Ranger ordered some Earl Grey for himself and Darjeeling for Steph. Ranger drank his black and Steph had a splash of milk in hers and surprised herself by really enjoying it.

As they sat and relaxed, relishing the ambience and comestibles, Steph broke the comfortable silence. "Why here?"

"I thought I'd start expanding your horizons with something rather formal and very English. I knew you'd rise to the challenge of fitting in somewhere so very different to anything you've ever experienced before. Proud of you, Babe."

Steph laughed "thanks for the compliment, I think!"

"You know what I mean" Ranger returned, leaning back in his chair, elbows on the arm rests as he steepled his long fingers. He looked at the beautiful woman in front of him. He'd seen the chameleon in her before but never on this scale. She looked as if she'd been born to this life and that she knew no other, he'd compared her to the other women in the room and found that Steph blended in perfectly. Her outfit was neither too formal nor too casual. Not many women understood smarter than smart casual and she'd nailed it brilliantly. It made his heart swell with pride, he was proud of her. Really proud. And he wanted to feel this way for the rest of his life. He hoped it wouldn't be too long before he could attempt to claim his prize, Steph. Every. Last. Little. Bit. Of. Her.

"So, have you ever had tea at the Ritz in London, England?" she asked, breaking into his thoughts.

"Yeah. The first time I ever went to London I was 25, I had to make contact with a guy who had something for me and the rendezvous point was in an alleyway just by the hotel. As I waited for him, I glanced in through a window and saw people having afternoon tea. It looked so English, exclusive, intimate. I wanted to experience it."

"Ranger, you're not telling me anything you shouldn't, are you?" Steph said looking slightly worried.

"S'ok Babe." He smiled reassuringly at her before continuing. "I vowed I would have tea there one day. The next time I went to London I tried to realise that ambition, only to find you had to book at least 12 weeks in advance." He chuckled to himself "should have been more aware of my surroundings" he added, looking up at her. Steph was smiling, totally relaxed in his company.

"Third time lucky though and it was all that I thought it would be. I even had several of the pastries that day."

Wow, thought Steph, he's opened up to me. I've just seen a little snippet of the real man behind the mask. She knew she wanted more. Between Operation Heartbeat and Ranger's own agenda she had a sneaking suspicion that things would all turn out OK.

"Tell me how you're doing with my puzzle." Ranger cut into her thoughts, bringing her back to the here and now.

"Still working on the second level. I don't think this one will be as easy as the last." She looked to him for a reaction or perhaps even a clue.

"No, I'm not going to tell you anything" Ranger laughed out "you're bright, you'll work it out soon enough."

"Ok then, tell me what's so special about a Grischert love puzzle anyway."*

"A Grischert love puzzle was used in Zieglau, a small village just outside Salzburg in Austria as a test for young people. It was designed by one for the other to solve. If they could open it and find out the secret contained within they were allowed to marry each other. The logic was that if the puzzle could be solved by the recipient then both people had similar ideas and thoughts and would make a strong match.

The original ones were very simple, often just two or three pieces of wood carved by a local craftsman. Over time they became more ornate, intricate and complicated, depending on whether the parents wanted the match or not. The more difficult ones were created where the parents didn't want their children to succeed. Rumour has it that they were eventually banned by a local dignitary when his daughter managed to solve a particularly difficult one thus enabling her to marry a local farmer's son. Either way, they haven't been used for over a hundred years. I just got you one because I thought you might like a challenge."

"Not because you don't want me to succeed?"

"That would be telling"

"Hmm. Man of mystery, what are you trying to tell me?"

"That would be telling" Ranger repeated, raising one eyebrow suggestively.

The subject changed to safer areas and they finished their eating experience long after dark.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Later that night as she lay in her bed listening to Rex run his nightly marathon, Steph cracked the second layer of the puzzle. Exposing a layer consisting of white bands, one on top of the other.

I based the house that Ranger took Steph to on Muckross House in Killarney National Park, Ireland. Feel free to look it up, it's rather lovely.

*absolute figment of my imagination, but the places do exist, I've been to Salzburg and Zieglau is nearby, but I've not been there.


	16. Chapter 16

**Thank you for your wonderful reviews. Please keep them coming. I've surprised myself and been able to rattle off this next chapter in a couple of hours so no children were harmed in the making of this!**

"Have you heard from Joe?" Steph asked Eddie as she dropped off her latest skip. It was Monday morning and Trenton was relaxing in the soft autumnal sun, the heat of the summer well and truly over. He was heading out of the building too and he motioned for her to follow him as he walked out of the car park and couple of blocks down to pick up coffee and donuts from a street vendor.

"No, he's been too busy and we've ended up playing telephone pingpong." Eddie said, between mouthfuls as they slowly meandered back to the station.

"Telephone pingpong?" Steph asked, looking confused.

"Yeah, I phone his answer machine say 'hi'. He phones mine and says 'hi to you too' then I phone his answer machine..."

"Yeah, I get the picture!" Steph said laughing, stirring her coffee slowly with a wooden stirrer. "So, do you think he's happy?"

"Yes and no."

"?"

"Yes because he's got the job he's always wanted. No because he's far away from friends and family."

"His choice" Steph reasoned shrugging her shoulders slightly "he could have kept both if he'd wanted to."

"Could he? " Eddie asked, studying her face as he sucked sugar from his lips.

"At the time I would have said 'yes' but now I'm glad it didn't work out. I loved him, Eddie, but not in the way he wanted. He probably realised it too so his subconscious created an exit point for me. We always sabotaged our relationship so that the fact it ended was kinda inevitable." Steph stopped and took a slurp of coffee, concentrating on drinking it carefully as it was still very hot. As she finished she looked up and straight into Eddie's eyes. "I realise now that all that I ever wanted was here in Trenton all along."

Eddie winked. "There's no place like home, Dorothy!" clicking his heels together.

"Yeah, there's no place like home." She replied, smiling wistfully into the distance. They'd finished the donuts by the time they'd reached the car park so gave each other a quick hug and went their separate ways.

o0o0o0o0o0o

The rest of the week went in a blur and suddenly it was Thursday again.

Steph had driven in her latest POS a faded red Ford Escort which was only just street legal as the floor was starting to rust through. She pressed her key fob to gain entry to the Haywood car park then parked in her usual spot, next to Ranger's dark and shiny black Cayenne.

"Oh boy" said Mary Lou with a loud gulp as she stepped out of the car, gawping at the vehicles that flanked their less than pristine carriage. Lenny just stared about himself nervously then went round the back of the car and grabbed a load of beer and crisps from the boot. He knew a little about Manoso but despite the fact that he liked what he'd seen when they'd met, he'd heard lots of conflicting stories about him so he was still a bit wary. What he saw in the car park did, however, float his boat – large powerful shiny black cars – hey, it's a guy thing he thought as his eyes took in the hardwear.

"Come on guys" Steph giggled as she gestured for them to follow her towards the elevator then fobbed them up to 7.

"Ping!" went the doors as they opened.

Ranger was standing the other side, ready to greet them. Clearly he'd been warned in advance that they were on their way up. Steph licked her lips, mentally of course, as she took in the sight in front of her. Batman's elegant feet were bare and he was wearing his mouth wateringly gorgeous dark blue jeans again and a white shirt with sprigs of tiny pale blue flowers on it. He'd rolled the sleeves to reveal some of his muscular forearms. Ye Gods of all things naughty and unholy, he's gorgeous, she thought as she stepped up to him and greeted him with a quick peck on the cheek. His was wearing his hair loose and had it tucked behind his ears, it shimmered as he moved under the muted lights.

"All things unholy, eh Babe?" he whispered, his hand behind her head, holding her in place, she could feel his grin against her skin.

"I said that out loud, didn't I?" she whispered back. "Sure beats the Dumpster Gods!" She added trying to hide her embarrassment. He smiled again, nuzzling into her curls inhaling her smell before letting her go and turning round to greet Mary Lou and her husband.

"Let me" he gestured to Lennie as he relieved him of some of his burden, following Mary Lou and a now rapidly disappearing Steph who he could swear was blushing. Can't think why, he thought, smugly. Perhaps he should get Ella to get him some more of these jeans, they did seem to mould to him rather nicely and Steph seemed to appreciate how well they fitted.

"OK everyone. Now I know that you didn't all enjoy last week's film, but at least this one has _some_ violence in it and some cool special effects..." Steph stopped, looked at Tank and glared. Someone coughed unsubtly. He was currently nibbling his way up Lula's throat and suddenly noticed all eyes had turned to him. Lula swatted him away, pretending to look offended. Tank just grinned.

"Has everyone got what they need?" she asked, a general rumble of consent was her reply. "Good, then let's begin." She sat down next to Ranger who pretended his arm didn't belong to him as he draped it round her shoulder. Good grief, this is like a first date at the movies when you're 16 she thought, as she tried to ignore his warmth through their clothes and pretended not to snuggle into him.

As the lights went up Steph was met with blinking eyes as everyone tried to adjust to the brightness. "OK, break time, you know the drill."

Ten minutes later everyone was re-seated and the discussion began.

"So, will she marry him?" Lula wanted to know.

"Read the books" replied Connie.

"They wrote some books based on the films?" Lula said, looking non-plussed.

"No, the other way round. There's actually four in the series" replied Lenny, surprising everyone. "Hey, I might be a guy, but I like the idea of sex between a vampire and a human..." Mary Lou looked stunned "since when did you start to read?!" she said, looking him up and down in amazement.

"Guys, can we get back to the critiqueing bit, please" Steph pleaded.

"Hell, yeah" said Bobby, "I have to go on shift in just over an hour and I want to explore the whole sacrifice thing."

Steph lost the will to live about fifteen minutes into the discussion but hoped someone would touch on the points she's planned to cover with the girls' help. An hour later and she'd been mentally smacking her head against the wall for several minutes – nothing had gone to plan. The boys had spent the whole time talking about who would make the better lover - a vampire or a werewolf and the girls had forgotten about Operation Heartbeat, _obviously_, as they were giving their own thoughts on the matter, but from a woman's perspective.

"Ok, let's end it there, shall we?" Steph finally yelled in order to be heard over the argument that raged round the room about the sexual stamina of vampires and werewolves. "Right, next week we'll be watching the Terminator for those of you into gratuitous violence" she continued more quietly.

"Gratuitous?" said Lula.

"Yeah, it means violence just for the sake of it."

"I knew that" Lula said, the beginnings of Rhino mode showing on her face. Tank pulled her into him and whispered something in her ear which had the desired effect because the big angry black woman was replaced by a giggling girl.

Steph rolled her eyes, thinking why me but her thoughts were interrupted because Bobby stood up to leave, pulling Stella up with him. They wandered off in the direction of the front door to say their goodbyes and a couple of minutes later she returned, looking a little dishevelled with a big grin on her face. She was staying on four tonight so decided to join in the general chat and drinking, leaving with the rest just before midnight.

o0o0o0o0o0o

At 12.11am Ranger's phone rang...

"Yo?"

"Ranger..."

"Babe?"

"I didn't get a chance earlier and just wanted to thank you again for Saturday, I had a really great time."

"Me too. You looked like you were born to consumer High Tea. Do you, by any chance, fancy folding paper on our next horizon expanding session?"

"Not had enough of me yet?" Yippee!

"Babe."

"Sorry! Yeah, that would be nice, when did you have in mind?"

"Monday evening, 20 hundred hours, are you free?"

"Oh, let me consult my diary, hmmm, 20 hundred hours, that'll be 8 o'clock in English" she heard a gentle chuckle from the other end of the phone as she paused for effect "I _could_ fit you in before Dougie and after my parents..."

"Babe."

"Hey, I'm trying to play hard to get here, bear with me!"

"Sorry" he said still obviously amused.

"Now let me see, hmmm" another small pause "Yeah, I _suppose_ I could fit you in."

"Glad to hear it." Ranger gumbled out.

"What's the dress code?"

"Clothes could be optional..."

"Ranger!"

"Hey, you can't blame a man for trying!"

"Aaagh!"

"Jeans."

Slight pause.

"I think I can do that. Ranger, how did you know I was destitute again?"

"Babe."

"No, I really want to know."

"You're always destitute."

"Answer the question."

"OK, but you have to answer one first."

"Okaaaay."

"What are you wearing? Are you in my t-shirt again?"

"That's two questions."

"Babe."

"Ok, Ok, so I'm wearing your t-shirt again."

"Why?"

"I like the way it makes me feel."

"And how's that?"

"Safe."

Slight pause.

"I checked with Connie, Babe."

"Sorry?"

"I checked with Connie to find out how many skips you'd caught recently and she told me things were slow. I just wanted to help out with your clothing for our dates and the fact that your birthday is in two weeks gave me the perfect opportunity. I'd meant to mention it when I first invited you but I felt it would be better to talk to you face to face, I thought you'd probably flip so wanted to catch you before you jumped to the wrong conclusion."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I didn't want you to think I was being charitable, giving you a pity donation. That was never my intention and I wanted you to realise that from the outset. I simply wanted it to be a gift from one friend to another."

"But Ranger, $5,000! That's far too much."

"Babe. I spend that on my business suits."

"Do you really? Wow! Stop distracting me. It's still too much, I mean it."

"But you don't know what else I've got planned."

"I thought you preferred the no clothes option..."

"Like the sound of that dress code, But seriously Steph, you're going to spend every single penny of that money, I promise."

"Dates, you say? Real ones?"

"Yeah and yeah."

"I like the sound of that."

Awkward pause.

"So, when were you going to tell me that the film club was all for my benefit?" Ranger was clearly smirking down the phone.

"Pardon?" holy Crap! Play stupid ordered sensible steph. He's figured it out already! bit out Stupid Steph. I know! Sobbed Sensible Steph.

"Babe."

"Don't know what you mean."

"Pride and Prejudice: Darcy. Tortured soul, desperately in love but unrequited until he lets her into his life at Pemberley. Twilight: Edward. Tortured soul, needs to keep his love safe so tries to push her away. New Moon: Edward. Still tortured, still in love, tries to make the ultimate sacrifice as he can't live without the woman that he loves."

"Ok, so I admit there's a theme here."

"And...?"

"And what..."

"Babe."

"So _maybe_ one of the themes might be based on you..."

"One?"

"Yeah..."

"Babe!"

"There are other themes too." Steph said petulantly.

"Such as?"

"Strong women!"

"Strong women?!"

"Yeah, Elizabeth Bennett – nobody's fool, strong willed, determined, forgiving. Bella Swan – determined, beautiful, love triangle, brave enough to go for what she really wants even if it frightens her. Sarah Connor..."

"Sarah Connor?"

"Terminator, next week's film."

"Ah, don't tell me. Strong woman, unique, brave, determined, focused."

"Maybe... Night Ranger."

"Stephanie..."

Dial tone

Holy Crap! I hung up on Batman! Steph screeched doing a mental happy dance, burying her head under the covers giggling hysterically and wrapping her arms tightly round herself.

Ten minutes later she heard her locks tumble.

She felt his presence before he entered the bedroom. Moonlight splashed across his face as he reached her, dropping his clothes to the floor as he travelled towards the bed. A look of hunger etched into his beautiful features.

"You've got something that belongs to me - I want my t-shirt back" Ranger said quietly. A Panther stalking its prey.

She smiled up at him, pulled the duvet up under her armpits and slowly removed the black garment before dangling it seductively from her outstretched arm.

He snatched it away from her and threw it to join all the other clothes on the floor.

"We're going to do this, Babe, and it's going to be good" he whispered as he crept up the bed then his lips came crashing down on hers.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Batman must be a fine hunk of lurv" said Lula as she studied the satisfied look Steph was trying to conceal as she sidled into the Bonds Office the next morning.

"Tell me more..." yelled Vinnie as he walked out of his door pulling his coat on as he tossed a couple of files at Connie who was glaring at him. "What?" he said, a look of innocence on his ratty little face.

"In yo dreams, pervert!" Lula snorted before standing up, pulling herself up to her full 5' 5" giving him a clear view of her ample form which was straining for release from its leopard skin spandex prison. He grimaced, turned and slammed the door behind him as he exited the building.

"Tell me all, tell me all..." Connie shrieked once she was happy that the coast was clear as she jumped up and down, clapping her hands in anticipation.

"Skinny white girl, don't hold nothin' back, we want _all_ the details." Lula added, throwing herself back on the sofa with a whoomph.

Steph just looked at them, wide eyed, trying to look innocent.

"Don't you dare!" Connie said, laughing and crossing her arms. "We can tell you've had some Ranger loving."

Steph kept her lips together determined to neither confirm nor deny anything. Safer that way, she thought. Unfortunately her stupid skin was determined to betray her instead because she blushed from the bottom of her feet to the top of her head. Well, it felt like that anyway. She sank onto the couch and groaned, closing her eyes as she threw her head back.

Damn!

"Don't think you can get away with it, you've got a glow about you AND you've a huge hickey on your neck!"

"Damn straight, White Girl. Can't hide something that large" Lula confirmed with a grin on her face, reaching out to touch the offending mark, brushing Steph's hair away so that she could get a better look at it.

Damn!

She'd been rumbled.

"I _might_ have seen some action last night..."

"Mm Hmmm..."

"Who's to say it was Ranger?"

"Mm Hmmm, so there's someone else in the running," said Lula, turning in her seat as she dipped and cocked her head slightly to give Steph her best 'don't mess with me' look.

"Ok, ok, it might have been Ranger..."

"Mm Hmmm..."

"Oh, pack it in you two, you're being so childish!"

"Steph and Ricardo up a tree k.i.s.s.i.n.g!" Connie sang out then made kissy kissy noises and Lula fell about laughing.

Lula and Connie gave each other an 'I knew it!' look, high fived across the room at each other and turned back to Steph, waiting for more details.

"Hell yeah, that's _so_ funny!" Steph huffed, secretly relieved that her secret was finally out.

She made the women pinky promise not to tell anyone. The Burg grapevine may crave such news but she wasn't ready for it to find out just yet.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Report!" Ranger barked out at the briefing meeting. It was 10.00 and Ranger was 'keen' to get on with his paperwork – deep joy. Perhaps he could persuade Steph to come back and help him with it, hey, not such a bad idea. Perhaps she could also help with...

Lester looked at his boss across the room. Something was different, he seemed lighter on his feet somehow. Carefree - if you could ever accuse Ranger of being carefree. He snorted, quietly. If he didn't know better he'd say he'd finally got laid. In fact he was sure he could see a row of four marks on his arm –were they crescent shaped ? That could only mean one thing. Bomber. Lester knew that Steph was Ranger's raison d'etre. He'd bet money on it being Stephanie Plum. Hey, he _had_ bet money on it being Stephanie Plum.

Now where had he put the book on that one? The morning meeting finished and he headed off to find Hector. Hector had the book...

o0o0o0o0o0o

"So, finally got her then?" said Tank as they entered Ranger's office.

"Don't know what you mean." Ranger sat down behind his desk, picked up a file and flicked through the contents, pretending to look over it.

"Yeah, right! The fact that you sparred like a girl this morning, have marks on your back and arm and looked as if you'd had no sleep suggests otherwise. Plus you came _in_ to Haywood at oh eight hundred hours."

Ranger raised an eyebrow at his friend who roared with laughter at his response.

"Was she worth it?"

...

"Come on, after everything I've done for you, the least you can do is let me in on your little secret."

"Ok, so I got together with Steph and it was better than I remembered..."

"Really..." Tank said as he sat down in the chair opposite Ranger. There was obviously more to the story than Carlos was letting on and he was in no rush to leave. He made himself comfortable, waiting.

The silence was deafening. After a couple of minutes Ranger realised he was not going to win. Tank was a very very patient man. He let out a big sigh. "OK, Pierre, but this goes no further" and he proceeded to fill Tank in beginning with the DeChooch deal all the way through to last night.

"Man, you're a bigger fool than I thought!" Tank paused, clearly horrified by the revelations. "No wonder it took so long for you two to get it together! I wouldn't trust you either if it'd been me. You made it clear that she's for keeps this time, didn't you?"

Ranger's blank faced descended.

"What crap did you feed the poor girl this time?" Tank sighed. Exasperated at the stupidity of his best friend.

Ranger raised his hands as if to defend himself. "Don't worry, I haven't walked away. We talked a lot last night and we're taking this slowly. She knows that I'm now up for trying a relationship, that I have only one mission left to complete. I just didn't let on how much I love her, how long I've loved her and what she's always meant to me. I don't want to scare her off. I did once tell her she was a line item on my budget – under 'entertainment' to hide my feelings back then." He did have the decency to whisper the last bit and to look very ashamed. "At least now she knows that she's more to me than that."

Tank glared at him. "No wonder she hasn't rushed to you before now! I always wondered what kept you apart for so long. Now I know. You're a complete idiot – a total fool. I'd have steered clear of you if it was my heart that was at stake!" He ran his hand over his bald head, looking at Ranger incredulously. He stood up, shaking his head "if you fuck this up again, I'll set Lula on you" he said as he made to leave the room. "Be afraid, Rangeman, be very afraid." He whispered as he walked out.

Ranger leant his head back against the head rest and sighed again. He had no intention of ever letting Stephanie Michelle Plum go again. He loved her too much and now he was playing for keeps.

Till death us do part.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Hi Mom!" Steph said as she walked into her parents' house. Silence was the stern reply. She'd had a good couple of days. Catching skips, helping to restore her negative bank balance. Speaking to Ranger, laughing with Ranger, sleeping ok, so not sleeping with Ranger...

She popped her head round the kitchen door to find her mother and Angie Morelli scarfing down coffee cake as if they'd never seen food before.

"Everything OK?" Steph asked, looking a little worried.

"Pull up a seat" said Joe's mother beckoning her as she cut a slice of cake, put it on a plate and then pushed it into a space on one of the two empty sides of the table. At the same time, Ellen got up, grabbed a large mug and poured a cup of coffee for her daughter from the pot on the stove then returned to the table. The milk and sugar were next to the cake plate.

Steph looked concerned, but decided that they two women needed to tell her the news themselves. She sat down and waited.

Angela and Ellen had grown close since Joe and Steph's near liaison and had remained friends even after Joe had let Steph down so badly. Steph braced herself for the worst...


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks for your wonderful reviews, always very welcome!**

**This chapter contains smut, but it's all about celebrating love...**

The two women returned to their cake and between mouthfuls Angela explained that Joe was thinking about returning to Trenton. He was feeling isolated emotionally and overwhelmed by his job. The relationship, if you could call it that, with Aly had foundered and he was missing his friends and family. He wanted home. He wanted Stephanie Plum. He wanted to see if Trenton was still home.

"I'm worried that he'll come back here and cause trouble for you if you don't get back with him" said Angela looking pointedly at Steph, trying to gauge her reaction.

"Not going to happen!" Steph replied. She really didn't need him to destroy the world she was now beginning to have. Ranger was starting to open up to her and making noises to suggest that he wanted a relationship with her too.

Steph had done her grieving for Joe and after much thought she realised that she wanted nothing from him, not even his friendship. How could he even think she'd consider trying again? She'd not risk losing the man of her dreams just because Joe wanted her back. What a ridiculous thought! Ranger was too precious to her – without him she knew she couldn't function, breathe, function, breathe...

No-one in the Burg knew that she'd hooked up with Batman yet. True, two of her closest friends did but they were sworn to secrecy and they'd keep her secret safe for her. Steph realised that perhaps it _was_ time for it to find out, but on her terms.

"I've met someone else" she started nervously.

Her mother looked at her, clearly intrigued, lowering the forkful of cake that had nearly reached her mouth.

"Ok, so he's been a part of my life for a long time now, but we only got together a couple of days ago and I really want to try this relationship out for size. I really like him, maybe even love him. I trust him completely and somehow my life seems right with him in it. We're taking it really slow but this could be it for me." Steph looked at the two women, trying to work out whether they were pleased for her or not.

"It's Ranger, isn't it?" said Ellen, the penny dropping.

"Yeah, yes it is" Steph replied, sighing with relief that at last she was able to be honest. Her confession felt good on her lips. Ellen reached across the table and gently patted her daughter's hand.

"That's great, Steph" said Angela, giving Steph a genuine smile as she cupped her face with one of her hands. "I'm really sorry about how Joe treated you and I'm glad you've been able to move on. You're a great girl and I hope you've found the right one for you." She caressed Steph's face with her thumb then pulled her hands back to her coffee cup.

Ellen smiled, indulgently.

Steph finished her cake, drank her coffee and bid a hasty retreat, telling her two unlikely allies to keep the information they told their friends top-line, that she'd set Joe straight herself if he showed up and not to worry.

Let the Burg grapevine do its worst she thought grimly as she left...

o0o0o0o0o0o

"White Girl, I done heard a rumour..." Lula said over the phone as Steph walked away from her parents' house.

"Spit it out" Steph said.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Yo."

"Yo yourself."

"Babe" Ranger sighed happily.

A warm and cosy feeling descended over her as she took in the tone Ranger had used once he'd realised who it was on the phone. It was clear no-one else was near him as he acknowledged her call.

"Are you free tonight, fancy coming over this evening, something's come up rather suddenly and I need your help."

"Come up rather suddenly" said Ranger as his trousers bulged in anticipation "what's the dress code?"

"Optional"

"This offer is getting better by the minute..."

"Opportunist!"

"Babe."

"See you at 7.30?"

"Nineteen thirty hours, loud and clear, over and out." He was obviously laughing at her.

"Oh and Ranger"

"Babe?"

"Talk like a normal human being could you?"

"Wilko"

Sigh

Dial tone.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph opened the door at 7.29 and 38 seconds. Well it was by her watch anyway.

Ranger stood wearing _those_ dark blue jeans _again_, a tight fitting indigo t-shirt, leather jacket... oh and a wolf grin. Steph licked her lips in anticipation as she let him in.

"Ranger, is anyone checking my car park?" she asked, coming straight to the point, taking his hands in hers to reassure him.

"No, should they be?" Ranger said, clearly confused.

Steph nodded as she stepped closer and began to remove his jacket, it felt so soft and warm and...

"Earth to Babe! Care to explain what's going on?" Ranger asked, gently pushing her chin up so that he could meet her eyes.

Steph recounted the conversation with her mother and Angela Morelli and her phone call with Lula.

"So what do you want to do about it?" he asked, hoping that she wanted him and not Joe. In his mind his fingers were crossed.

"I don't want Joe to try and ruin what we've got" Steph began.

"And what's that, Babe? Said Ranger, pushing her to tell him what she meant. He wanted, no needed her to spell it out for him. He wanted, no needed her to tell him that she loved him.

The way he loved her. Unconditionally. Forever.

"I don't know what we've got to be honest, Ranger. I know how I feel about you..."

"...which is..."

"Ok, so I admit it, I love you. More than that, I'm in love with you. I just don't seem to be able to stop myself. There are you happy?" she said, folding her hands over her chest and giving him a petulant look. More than surprised at her candour.

Ranger chuckled "Babe" his turn to take her hands and reassure her.

"Don't give me that!"

"Give you what?" he replied, baiting the tiger and loving every minute of it.

"Monosyllabic answers"

"Sorry, sweetheart..."

"Sweetheart?"

"Yeah, I love the statement that it makes."

"Which is?"

"That I love you too."

"And do you?"

"With everything that I am."

"Say it again, Ranger."

"Carlos, call me Carlos."

"Say it again, Carlos."

"I, Carlos, love you, Babe, unconditionally, with everything that I am."

"Wow."

"Yeah, wow."

"But you don't do relationships."

"Do now."

"Wow."

"Yeah, wow."

They stood holding each other for what seemed like eternity, taking in the magnitude of their confessions. Ranger could hear Tank now "At last, you've taken your head out of your ass. Get the woman down the aisle before she changes her mind!"

Talking of Tank...

"So what are we going to do to make Morelli realise that he's done here?" He asked.

"Well, I thought..." Steph said and proceeded to tell Ranger, sorry Carlos, her proposed plan.

Ranger nodded his head in agreement when she'd finished and immediately dialled through to the control room to make the necessary arrangements. In ten minutes time his car would be gone and a surveillance team would be in its place. As he got off the phone he smiled. Everything was in place and the show could begin - on Hector's signal, of course.

They ordered a Chinese and waited, cuddling on the sofa and watching a DIY programme on how to build a wardrobe. They were clearly distracted by the events of the evening so far and those yet to occur as neither saw fit to change the channel to anything more appropriate.

The Chinese arrived just after 8.15 and they moved to the dining room to eat it. The air was tense as they picked their way through the meal, both ready for what they knew was coming.

Suddenly Ranger's phone rang. It was time.

"Are you sure you want to do this Babe?" Ranger asked, hoping that the answer was still yes. He'd lost her before but now the stakes were so much higher. He didn't want to lose her again, his heart was only so strong.

She nodded, smiled and took his hand, kissing his knuckles and giving his fingers a squeeze to reassure him as she looked deeply through his eyes and into his soul.

"I love you" she said.

"I love you too, Querida" he replied.

They walked to the window but stayed in the shadows created by the TV and a small side table lamp, looking out for the car they both knew had just arrived. They both saw it as it pulled into a space and parked up.

Someone got out and shut the door, standing in the moonlight, clearly debating its next move.

Show time.

Steph gently pulled Ranger closer to the window so that the owner of the car would get a good view of them both. She said nothing as she stepped into Ranger's embrace, their lips locking in a bone melting kiss. Ranger's hands started to travel - one held her head still as his lips plundered her mouth, the other headed slowly south. Steph's fisted one hand in his t-shirt and used the other one to release his silken locks from the leather tie that bound them together then snagged her hand into it pulling him further into her. Out of the corner of his eye, Ranger could see the audience of one pause, clearly not impressed by the show. Ranger pulled apart from his lover so that they could catch a breath and so that they could both turn towards the window.

"Are you sure? Ranger asked.

"More than you'll ever know" she whispered in reply.

He looked deep into her eyes then turned and dismissed the man in the car park with a floppy handed salute, counted to 5 in his head then he pulled her away from the window and into his tender embrace.

Joe Morelli stood, running a hand through his unkempt hair, his heart breaking, knowing that he had no one to blame but himself as the tears ran down his face.

The deed was done and the Burg would know all about it in 5-4-3-2-1...

"Stephanie, this is your mother speaking. Looks like the world knows about you and Ranger now. Good luck! Your father and Grandma say Hi by the way. Call me." Steph winked at Ranger then reached over and turned off the ringer. They needed to celebrate in peace and Steph knew that was not likely unless they shut the world out.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Joe got back into his car. Damn, he'd been such a fool and now he'd lost Steph. Or had he? He needed to find out for sure so drove over to his mother's. He sat for a few moments, gathering his wits about him. He knew his mother hadn't forgiven him for how he'd treated Steph so knew that his welcome could be frosty. He gathered his cop armour around him and went up to her house.

Lights in the hall went on a few seconds after he'd rung the bell and he could make out his mother's silhouette walking towards the front door. Crunch time, he thought, knowing his mother had her finger well and truly on the Burg's pulse. Hell, she was the Burg's pulse.

The door opened and Angela Morelli, stepped out to see him and slapped Joe's face hard before stepping back inside her house. The sound echoed through the stillness of the night.

"What was that for, Mum?" he gasped, holding his cheek, following her as she walked towards the kitchen.

"For hurting Steph and then thinking she'd come running back to you" she snorted as she turned the corner and disappeared. She knew her actions would be round the grapevine in a flash and she grinned to herself. She'd already received calls from Elisa Joviak about his reception as Steph's. Joe might be her son, but no-one cheats on another and expects them to welcome them back with open arms. Her late husband, God rest his soul, thought that such actions were acceptable. They weren't and Joe had managed to rid himself of his influence. After all Joe's hard work to avoid the stereotype she was not going to allow her son to turn into him now.

"So I take it that you know about Ranger" Joe bit out, sitting down at the kitchen table as Angela started to make coffee for both of them.

"Yes, I was at Ellen's house earlier when she came in and told us. I said I was happy for her."

"Mum! It's only been five months! How could she move on so quickly!"

"You moved on and hadn't even finished with her." Came the reply.

Touché!

"I came to see how she was..."

"Bullshit! Your relationship with Aly" Angela spat out the name "is over so you thought you'd try your luck! Don't you think she deserves better?"

"But Ranger..."

"Is good for her. They only got together a few days ago and they're taking it slow. Seems like they're coupling has been inevitable."

"?"

"I've done my homework, Son" the reply was said softly with a hint of sadness to it "I have it on best authority that they've grown closer and closer over the past couple of years. It broke his heart to find out she was leaving but he wouldn't stop her. You were what she wanted. He respected that decision and didn't ask her to stay. "

"Where did you get this from?" Joe asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"Mary Lou and Lula"

"Lula?!"

"I'm not known as the pulse of the Burg Grapevine for nothing, son!"

"Oh yeah, that."

"But that's not all. Thing is, she had her doubts too. Ranger was a big part of her life before she'd made the commitment to you. He was not the only one hurting at leaving loved ones behind. She was going to give up her other love. For you. Only you had to blow it. You're a complete fool, Joe! She would have gone with you and made her life with you, but you couldn't keep your dick in your trousers so you gave her the chance to bail out."

Joe looked down at the drink that had somehow ended up in his hands. He hadn't even registered when his mother had passed it to him. He felt sick to the stomach.

"Even if things don't work out with this Ranger man, she'll never come back to you, Joe. You have to face the fact that she'd never trust you again. You need to move on, just has she has."

Joe's heart sank further, beyond the bottom of his stomach. It was so low that he felt he could kick it. Hell, it felt like someone just had. He felt sick to the core when he realised his mother was right. He'd tossed her away and for what? A quick fuck? How could he have been so stupid? So blind? Reality was a bastard, he thought ,as for the first time in many years, he cried.

Angela looked at her son not just the man, the cop, but as her son. She hadn't meant to hurt him but he needed to know the truth before he tried anything stupid and ruined Steph's life for the second time in less than a year. He needed solace and she gave it to him as she scooped him up in her arms and held him until he calmed down. By that time the once scalding coffee was cold and a skin had formed on the top.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"I'm off line until 12 hundred hours tomorrow" Ranger said into his phone before turning it off and putting it onto the arm of the sofa.

"Ok, Carlos, so about that dress code bit" she whispered as she reached up to pull his face towards her own and began to nip at his bottom lip.

Within moments their clothes were gone and Ranger swept her up in his arms, his feet making a soft padding sound as he walked into the bedroom. Even totally aroused his body was in perfect balance, poised and graceful, Steph thought as she reached down and began to stroke his erection.

"Playing with fire, Babe" he whispered as he nibbled her ear lobe and continued towards the bed.

"Oh, I do hope so" she replied huskily as she squeezed his balls. He groaned and nuzzled into her neck, taking in her scent.

They reached the bed and he knelt down almost reverently as he placed her in the middle. He sat back on his heels to admire her beauty, ghosting his hands over her firm white skin. Her body was alive with desire and she seemed to glow in anticipation of their coupling.

"Beautiful" he murmured as he knelt over the top of her, using his knees to hold her legs together. He intended to explore those later, but in the meantime her upper body was screaming for attention.

Steph seemed to know what he intended and made no move to hurry him. Instead she reached up and pulled his face down to hers, rising off the bed slightly to meet his body on its way down.

Carlos, still lacing his tongue round hers pushed her head gently into the pillow then took a hand and slowly placed it above her head before exploring her skin with his oh so talented mouth on his way to finding the other one which he moved to join its pair. Time slowed down and both they savoured the deliberateness of his movements. Sexual tension rising with each agonising second.

"Carlos!" she gasped as his lips suddenly came crashing down onto one of her nipples, nipping her now hard tip before sucking and teasing it with his tongue. She made to move one of her arms down so that she could pull his head further onto her aching breast, but he stilled her by pressing her hand firmly back onto the bed with his own.

"Don't move, please" he whispered with shaky breath.

"K" she managed to breathe out.

He moved his attention to her other breast and teased and tormented that one too. Every part of her was alive with need. Sharp sparks of electricity seemed to be going off all over her body and it was all she could do to stop herself from rolling the pair of them over and riding him like Zorro.

"Zorro, eh Babe?" he chuckled into her neck as he nibbled at her pulse point. "Maybe later, much later, I plan to take my time tonight" he promised.

His tongue and fingers seemed have a life of their own, like a conductor leading his orchestra - every part of her body was responding to his every flick, nip and kiss. She felt as if she was going to explode.

"Carlos, I need to explore you too."

"Later, Babe."

"Please."

"Later, Babe, please."

Ranger started to move away from her neck and nipples and to areas of her skin that wouldn't normally be associated with erotic touch but somehow his fingers burnt every frayed nerve in her body as they continued tracing over her, adding to the fire that was burning deep within.

This was making love, she thought, slow and deliberate. Designed to leave an indelible memory forever on her soul. She gave in willingly to the sensations that were sending her crazy as the man she loved with every fibre of her being continued to worship every part of her.

Just when Steph didn't think she could take any more, Ranger rocked back slightly on his knees and slid down her body, kissing and caressing her skin as he went. His knees were still holding hers in place, pressing her thighs together and she started to gyrate her hips so that she was pressing her sensitive lips onto her clit.

"Nah, ah ah!" Ranger said as he pushed her hips down into the bed, preventing her from pleasuring herself.

"Please, Carlos, I need to cum." She said, pleading with him.

"All in good time, Amante" he whispered as he licked and then blew over the skin just above her soft curls. He sat back on her legs so that his rock hard cock was resting in the dip created where her legs touched against each other and he splayed his hands over the outside of the tops of her thighs.

"Dios! You smell so good" he whispered as he began to caress the flatness of her stomach with his thumbs, tracing over her hip bones and moving slowly but surely towards the point where the tops of her legs met. Every agonisingly slow movement was followed by kisses or nibbles. Stephanie Plum was being slowly driven mad and she was loving every moment of it. She tried to pull her legs apart to allow him access, but he pushed them back together with his hands, before continuing his teasing ways.

He looked up her body, past her breasts which were moving up and down with her frantic breath, her nipples standing to attention and then up to her face. She had never looked so amazing as she did at that moment. Even their frantic, passion filled mating of the last few days could not top the way she looked right now. Her eyes were almost black and her face was glowing with desire. A faint sheen of sweat covered her forehead and her damp curls stuck to her neck.

"Oh God! Carlos, don't stop!" She moaned out, tossing her head in frustration, her hands fisted in the bedding, pulling on it with pent up need.

Ranger pressed her legs together as he began to suckle on the exposed skin of her inner thighs. He could smell her arousal and all he wanted was to drink from her inner lips but he wanted, no he needed her to know that this coupling was all about her, worshipping her beautiful body. He wanted, no needed her to understand how much he loved her and he intended to do so in the way he knew best. With his actions.

"Ricardo Carlos Manoso, if you do not let me cum in the next 10 seconds I'm going to go mad!" Steph panted out, lifting her head off the bed to glare at him. "I need to cum now!

"Or else what, Babe?" he said grinning.

"Or else I'll let Grandma Mazur loose" she said between gritted teeth.

All the while, Ranger had been massaging her soft thighs and dipping deeper and deeper between them with his thumbs. Suddenly he shifted his position and somehow her legs were wrapped around his neck.

"Is this what you want?" he whispered as he dropped kisses over her inner thighs.

"Ohhhh, yeeesss!" she moaned out.

"And this?" he asked, nipping at her lips, pulling them into his mouth and flicking his talented tongue over them.

"Ahhh!"

"Or could it be this?" He whispered as he pushed two fingers into her dripping folds and began to caress her g-spot. Her response was immediate and he could feel her muscles dance in time with his ministrations.

".god" she moaned.

"Tell me how you feel, Babe"

"I feel wonderful as if you are worshipping me"

"I am. Babe. I love you. Cum for me, my love, mi amor, querida" he nipped her clit with his teeth as he thrust his fingers in and out of her slick folds. Her orgasm started to build as he suckled on her hot hard clit, harder and harder he trust and suckled until she bucked with absolute pleasure. He moaned deep in his mouth as she coated him with her juices which he lapped up, enjoying her hot sticky sweetness.

She part moaned part screamed his name as she had the mother of all orgasms.

She lay, limply on the bed, still recovering when he pulled himself up her amazing, responsive body and slid into her warm wetness. Her body tensed slightly and he stopped moving to allow her to adjust to his size. His lips came crashing down onto hers and she tasted herself on him.

His eyes were black with passion and something else. Love. Full blown, absolutely forever. Love.

She held back a sob that threatened to consumer her. This experience was so perfect and she was so full of love for her many of mystery that from nowhere she managed to find the strength to flip them over. Suddenly she was on top of him, pushing herself upright and steadying her hands on his beautiful chest.

"Babe?" Ranger said, clearly as surprised by her actions as she was.

"My turn now, Carlos" she said softly, grinning at him as she began to move slowly up and down on his hard length.

She leant forward so that he could nuzzle into her breasts which were gently swaying in time with her thrusts. She knew she needed to slow things down or he'd cum far too quickly. After the torment he'd given her, it was only right to return the favour wasn't it?

She pulled herself up his body so that only his tip was still inside her then she began to tease him by slowly gyrating over his sensitive end. She heard him exhale loudly.

"Nice?"

"Oh, I think I'd use a stronger word than that" he managed to croak out. She grinned as she thrust back onto him, burying him up to the hilt inside her.

"Dios!"

She pulled herself up his body again and began to tease his tip again.

"Not fair!"

She grinned at him before lowering her head to his nipples which she proceeded to tweak in the same way as he had hers. He thrust his chest forward and she nipped and nibbled on his sensitive tips, licking them after each bite.

"Dios, Amante!"

She thrust herself back on him again and began to gyrate her hips. She could feel that he was getting close to orgasm so pulled up his body again, teasing his engorged head. She kept her teasing up for several minutes, each time he tried to pull her down onto him so that he could start to pump in and out, she pulled up his length to tease his tip. She could see he was getting more and more frustrated and was close to losing control. He was starting to sweat with the effort of holding back and she could feel the familiar tug of her own impending orgasm. Ranger could hold himself back no longer and grabbed her hips as he began to push himself deeper and deeper into her, she met his every thrust as she reached between them both and rubbed her clit.

Ranger's whole body started to shudder as he came emitting a low soft growl and Steph followed him over the edge moaning his name over and over again as waves of pleasure rolled over her.

They lay entangled in each other, completely sated, too tired to move and drifted happily off to sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

**Ranger has been very pleased with your comments, Joe is currently sulking! Steph blushed a couple of times, but hey ho, that's life!**

**Thanks for your reviews by the way, they make me feel all warm and squishy. xxx  
**

The news of Joe's return and subsequent reception was all over the Burg by the time Ranger and Steph had finished celebrating and for some reason morbid curiosity made them listen to the answer phone as they lay in the afterglow of their acrobatic coupling.

The story had grown a weenie bit... Apparently there'd been a fight and a broken nose, a scuffle with the neighbours and even a single gunshot.

As they finished listening to the messages which were getting more and more outrageous as the Chinese Whisper effect took its toll, Steph was laughing fit to burst. Ranger looked at her incredulously.

"No wonder you get fed up with the gossip mongers" he said, shaking his head in disbelief, idly curling her hair round and through his fingers as they lay together on the tangled sheets.

"Are you sure you want to put up with all of this and my crazy life?" Steph asked waving in the direction of the phone.

"Yeah, guess I am." He replied. "Are you sure you want to put up with my insane workload and my crazy life?" he countered.

"Yeah, guess I am." She replied, smiling and pulling him back to her for another round of love making.

o0o0o0o0o0o

The bed dipped and coffee was waved under Steph's nose but after last night's marathon she was in no mood to move.

"Come on, Sweetheart! It's time to rise and shine, sleepy head, you've got skips to chase and rubbish to roll in." Chuckled Ranger, far too cheerfully for Steph's liking as he plonked a mug of steaming caffeine on the bedside table.

She felt him move off the bed and dragged her head up high enough to turn it round so that she could look at the alarm clock.

"Carlos! It's 6.30am I've had no sleep thanks to a certain Cuban sex god I found in my bed last night and you want me to get up and chase skips?" she whined as she buried her head back in her pillow.

Suddenly the duvet was janked back and she was doused with cold water. She immediately jerked to 120% awake and shot off the bed shrieking and glaring at her tormentor. Carlos was laughing and holding a sponge that was now dripping water onto her bedroom carpet. She made a lunge for his naked form but he was too quick, dancing out of her way with the sponge held high above his head as he ran back into the bathroom. She followed close behind and kept jumping up, trying to grab the hand holding up the offending item, which only made Carlos laugh more. Steph revelled at the deep, soft laughter coming from her lover and before long her shrieks of frustration turned into squeals of delight as he tickled her mercilessly then shoved her into the shower.

He followed her in and she splatted him with a flannel. Between gasps as he struggled to breathe he continued his torment of her body, she continued to try and smother him with her flannel. Finally she reached up and nipped his bottom lip before swatting him on the bum. He feigned pain as he scooped her up in his arms and proceeded to show her again just how much he loved her.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

As there was no point in trying to keep their relationship a secret – that information was well and truly in the public domain, they eventually decided to venture out into the real world.

When they left the apartment, Ranger offered to drive Steph to the Bonds Office so that they could both pick up files on their latest skips. They didn't seem to want to be separated, now that they'd found each other, and Ranger's taxi service seemed the best way to delay the inevitable. They left a few minutes later, paperwork in hand and went to lunch at Pinos. By this time it was nearly 1 o'clock.

As they walked inside all conversation ceased as 43 pairs of eyes turned and looked at them. Amongst them was a certain Italian cop's.

"Let's go" said Ranger softly, placing his hand on Steph's arm, sensing the tension in the air and not wanting to cause a scene.

"No" she replied as she gave him a reassuring smile, kissed him on the nose and made her way to a booth towards the back, pulling Ranger along behind her. He was so stunned by her action that he just followed her and sat down with his back facing into the room. Realising his mistake, he shuffled round so that his back was to the wall. Steph laughed at him "You should be more aware..."

"...of your surroundings" finished off Morelli, standing at the entrance to the booth, cop face in place. He stood there for a moment leaning against the end of the station, looking at the two people whose hands were entwined across the table.


	19. Chapter 19

**Oh, I soooo love a cliff hanger, seems you do too...**

You could have cut the atmosphere with a knife. If it'd been an old Western film, the women, children and shop owners would have all disappeared as the gun fighters squared up for the shoot out. Doc Holliday versus Billie the Kid, thought Steph grimly as she saw a mental image of tumble weed tossing itself down a dusty main street...

"Cupcake, do you have a minute?"

"Not really."

"Please?"

"I'll go get us some lunch, the usual, Babe?"

"Yeah" said Steph as Ranger got up, holding her gaze for a few seconds then he turned and went to the counter to order. She watched his tense back move away as he pretended to be cool with the current situation. Conversations around the room had resumed although clearly much of it was to do with what was going on in the most recently occupied booth.

Joe sat down next to Steph and took her hand in his as he looked directly at her face. He couldn't look into her eyes as they were focused on the napkin she was fiddling with with her free hand. "Steph" he started softly "Steph, I'm really sorry that I hurt you and then had the nerve to show up and expect you to come running back to me as if nothing had happened." He let out a soft snort then continued "several people have put me straight on my naivety and for your information, Gazarra won _that_ bet."

She looked up, intrigued, as he continued. "I never meant to hurt you, but somehow my stupid, selfish..."

"...arrogant..."

"yeah, arrogant, ego thought you'd be waiting for me, to resume our on/off relationship again. Guess I was wrong, I'm so sorry." He nodded towards Ranger who was still talking to the server, no doubt taking all the fun stuff out of his meal. "I hope you know what you're doing, just don't let him hurt you the way I did, you deserve better than that." He gently kissed her knuckles, putting all his feelings into the gesture then stood up to walk away, reluctant to break the contact that he knew he must.

"Joe?"

"Yeah."

"He wouldn't dare!"

"?"

"Hurt me, I think I've found my soul mate and he feels the same way too. It's taken me three years to get to where I am now and I think I've learned through friendship and trust just how special we are to each other." She said gently, trying to soften the pain that she knew her words must be causing.

"Good to know, Cupcake. See you round." He replied, running a hand through his unkempt hair, knowing that this would probably be the last conversation they would ever have. He needed to get out of Trenton for good and go back to his new life. He needed to start again. Breathe again with someone new.

Steph sighed, it still hurt that he was leaving her life. After all you don't stop loving someone just because they hurt you, she reasoned. They'd been involved in their on/off relationship since she was 6 and he'd always have a place in her heart. He just wouldn't have a special place in her heart anymore – that was reserved for Carlos and had been ever since the Scrog incident. She hoped Joe would be happy in his new life.

"Joe?"

"Yeah."

"For the record, we did have a good thing going, and I'm glad for having known you, we just should have called it quits long before we did. I never meant for any of this to happen, I really do hope you find what you're looking for."

He nodded in reply and turned, squaring his shoulders as he walked out of her life for the very last time.

Ranger returned a few minutes later with her lunch and they ate in silence.

"Everything ok, Babe?"

"Yeah" she said, smiling sadly at him. "It's just sad that someone that's been a part of my life since I was six should be walking out of it forever. I doubt I'll ever see him again. It feels like a bereavement." They continued in silence for a few more minutes as they finished their meals then both looked up at the same time, stifling an awkward laugh.

"So, you ready to think about our date tonight?" Ranger ventured, hoping a change of conversation was what was needed.

Steph was pleased with the distraction "Yeah, what are we doing?" she asked, smiling.

"Origami"

"Or-i-what-y?"

"Origami. The ancient Japanese art of paper folding."

"."

"Trust me Babe, you're going to love it" Ranger said smiling as he stood up to leave. Steph flashed a smile "I better had do Batman!" she said as she squeezed his bum and breezed past him. She heard him chuckle. Paper folding! Whatever next!

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Welcome to our beginners guide to Origami" said the teacher, a small faded and wrinkled Japanese chap, as he beckoned his students into the empty classroom. "Come in, come in, find yourselves a seat, don't be shy!" he quipped happily.

"We're going to do this..." Ranger whispered.

"...and it's going to be good?" she giggled.

"That's my line, Babe." Steph got a 200 watt smile for her cheekiness and returned it 10-fold, playfully patting his bicep.

"Shh" said someone crossly from behind them as they sank onto the stools they'd found, giving each other a look of 'oops'.

"Sorry!" Steph whispered back apologetically.

"So, who knows anything about Origami?" ventured the teacher.

No-one replied. Steph looked over at Ranger who gave her an innocent look before turning to stare blankly at the teacher.

"My name is Hiro Yoshikawa and I have been practicing origami since I was a young boy, which was oh, at least 10 years ago..."

The class chuckled and Hiro's eyes twinkled in response.

"Please call me Hiro. Right then, who can name an origami shape?"

"Paper aeroplane?" someone ventured. The class sniggered collectively.

"Not quite what I was thinking but could be classed as paper folding, anyone else?"

"Water bomb?"

"Interesting. Any more?"

No one came up with anything so Hiro dipped down behind the desk he was standing by and pulled several colourful shapes from a small box he'd placed on the chair.

"Gather round and I'll introduce you to some of my creations. By the end of this evening, we'll have created at least a couple of these for you to take home. First off I have the crane," he started as his students moved closer to see "which is probably the most well known shape, it symbolises happiness, long life and peace. Legend has it that if you fold 1,000 of these you will get your heart's desire. Next I have a tortoise, which symbolises stability, structure, faith and long lasting commitment. As you can see, there is more to origami than just paper folding. Each shape is significant. Next we have ..."

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Who would have thought a badass bounty hunter, AKA Batman could create a paper crane?" said Steph as she gently cradled a small red and white flowered bird in her hand. She looked up in wonder at the man in front of her. She'd noticed that he'd finished it before she'd even got half way through creating hers. He'd obviously done this sort of thing before. What else had he done before, she wondered. Tonight she was feeling daring, perhaps she should challenge him to a game of truth or dare? Could be interesting...

"I smell burning, Babe" Ranger said, nuzzling into her hair as they left the classroom, heading out to the car park and Ranger's Porsche.

Steph settled their various creations into her lap and buckled herself in. She lay back against her disgustingly luxurious seat, inhaling the unique Ranger and leather smell as she closed her eyes. She knew Carlos was approving of her actions as she could feel his warmth radiate around the enclosed space.

"Penny for them, Carlos." She whispered.

"Just admiring my woman in my personal space" came the reply. They drove back to Haywood in comfortable silence, enjoying the calm that the evening's tutelage had given them.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"So, when did you learn origami?" Steph asked as she toed off her trainers in the hall and padded into the lounge, carefully dropping the paper creatures she'd been holding onto the coffee table and spreading them out.

"I was out in Japan on my second mission. Had a bit of time off, badly needed to decompress..."

"You never cease to amaze me. So far I've met Street Ranger, Professor Higgins, Corporate Ranger, Badass Bounty Hunter Ranger, Domestic Ranger, Ranger the lover and Carlos who even has a sense of humour. How many other parts to you are there, oh Man of Mystery?"

"Hmmm, let me see? If I told you I'd have to ravish you" he replied, wiggling his eyebrow at her.

"Truth or Dare it is then!" She giggled, as she strode off into the kitchen, returning moments later with two beers in her hand.

"Really? Are you sure you're ready for the answers you're going to get?" he said as he popped the cap on his beer, taking a large slug, dropping himself down onto the couch and motioning for her to follow.

"Yep." She said, sitting at the other end of the couch and putting her legs out so that her feet rested on his thighs.

"Ok, you go first"

"Ok, then. Can you bake a cake?"

"Babe?"

"Hey, I wanted to start off slow and easy. Can you bake a cake?"

"No. My turn."

"If you could be an animal, what would it be?"

"Easy. A cat."

"?"

"They have nine lives, come and go as they please and always know where the warmest spot in the house is."

"Good answer."

"Thank you. My turn. Did you have a cuddly toy as a child?"

"Can I take a dare?"

"Carlos, I didn't have you down as a coward!"

"OK, yes. A pale brown bear with long floppy limbs and a big fat tummy."

"Called..."

"Do I have to?"

"Yeah. This is getting interesting!"

"Babe!"

"Come on, cough up."

"Binky."

"Fantastic!"

"Tell anyone and ruin my badass image and I'd have to kill you." Ranger growled with mock anger, Steph giggled and took a swig of her beer. "My turn. What's your favourite sexual fantasy?"

Steph blushed "I don't really have one. I'm not that experienced and the thought of kinky stuff frightens me."

"Why?"

"I answered your question, it's my turn."

"Why."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" she said sighing.

"No, why does 'kinky' frighten you, Querida?" Ranger said gently, putting air quotes round the word kinky, urging her to go on.

"Dickie tried to force me into doing things I wasn't comfortable with. He got kinda rough and I got kinda scared..." she whispered, taking a big swig of her beer. She went to take another one as her mouth was suddenly very dry, but her bottle was empty.

Ranger got up and left the room, returning moments later with two more beers. Perhaps his ESP did come in handy occasionally, she thought.

"My turn!" Steph said, putting on a false cheery smile.

", fire away, Sweetheart!." Ranger grinned back. God! This woman was amazing, so worldly wise yet so naive. He planned to introduce her gently and carefully to 'kinky stuff' as she put it, but oh it would be so different to anything Orr had tried to get her to do. She'd be begging for more by the time he'd finished with her. His trousers bulged at the thought.

"So, man of mystery as you touched on the subject, what's the most kinky thing you've done?"

"Care to clarify?"

"Hmm, sounds like you've a wealth of knowledge here" she said as he grinned at her and raised an eyebrow, saluting her with his beer. If only she knew, he thought to himself, his trousers tightening further over his growing erection.

"Ok then, have you ever slept with a man?"

"Yeah."

"My turn" Ranger said quickly, grinning at her obvious surprise at his candour. He realised that she hadn't expected that answer and he could see the cogs turning. "Where in the world would you like to visit if you had the chance?" he continued, trying to distract her.

"Easy, Egypt. I'd love to visit the pyramids. I love the idea of the pharaoh being beholden to his people and being entrusted with their safe keeping. I love the majesty of the tombs they built and the wealth they contained."

"Wow! Didn't have you down as an archaeologist" Ranger admitted.

"Hah! Got you with that one, didn't I! My turn."

Range groaned, why had he agreed to truth or dare?!

"So, when was the last time you slept with a man?"

"Define slept"

"Er, had sex with, I suppose."

"You really want to know?"

"Yeah. I'm not going to like this am I?"

"Babe."

"Just tell me Ranger." Her frustration obvious.

Crap! We're back to Ranger. "6 weeks ago" he said, wincing.

"That's..."

"2 weeks before we got together. But it's not what it seems, I promise."

Steph looked shocked, surprised and a little sick. "Go on" she said stonily, really not looking forward to his answer. Crap! Why had she wanted to play truth or dare?

**And another one... (cliff hanger, that is.)**

LOL Sarah, toodles...


	20. Chapter 20

**Seems like you like cliffhangers then! Read on, it doesn't get any better...**

**Muahahaha**

"I need to explain this properly so that you really understand, please Steph?"

"Ok, but this had better be good, Ranger." I asked for this, didn't I? Stupid Steph said, head in hands.

Ranger took his cue and started to speak. So he did, softly and slowly he began his tale.

"In my younger days I could have any woman I wanted and invariably did. One night stands were my thing. Love 'em and leave 'em. Much easier with my lifestyle I reasoned. I couldn't and wouldn't do relationships and truth be told no one had ever come along who got under my skin enough for me to re-evaluate my way of thinking. I met Rachel during one such one night stand. After I got her pregnant I felt obligated to take care of her and Julie. Don't get me wrong, I love my daughter, but I wasn't exactly a role model for her and so I agreed to a divorce and returned to my womanising ways." He took a swig from his beer and looked at Steph, she nodded for him to continue. Crap! This was hard, he thought, his body's earlier eager anticipation had got bored and gone back to sleep.

"I left the army but kept up my special one-off missions going. Some people call me a mercenary, I prefer to think of it as me offering a public service – carrying out covert assignments for the country that I love. Turned out I was the best at what I did and the pay was extremely good." She took a swig from her beer, cocked her head slightly to one side then nodded for him to continue.

Ranger sighed as he straightened up and reached out to stroke along the tops of her feet, seeking comfort from this subtle human contact. No wonder he likes to touch me whenever he can, Steph thought, willing him to go on as he'd obviously not finished.

"As they say, though, everything has a price for a reason. Some of the things I did and saw whilst on-mission were brutal , ugly and inhuman. To help decompress I tried activities local to the area I found myself in – origami being one example, sex being another. Women, young and old, sometimes multiples, with or without toys, you name it, I did it. Each encounter helped to restore my sanity after the monstrosities I took part in – loving and caring in a twisted and savage world. A coping mechanism that helped to restore my sanity and my faith that behind all the ugliness some beauty remained."

The air was tense but Steph could see he had more secrets to unload so silently willed him on. He was no longer looking at her, but staring into his beer bottle, swilling its contents, as he dredged up the memories. He took a large sigh, plopped his head back against the couch and closed his eyes before he started talking again.

A few seconds passed as he searched for the right words. To Steph it felt like time had stopped.

Abruptly he started to talk again.

"On one occasion the mission we were on went horrendously wrong and I freaked out completely, so did all the men serving with me. We were in the depths of an unchartered part of India, and far away from civilisation so we sought solace in each other's bodies to help deal with our shock at what had come to pass. Everything we did to each other gave reassurance and comfort at a time of immense terror and sadness and helped pull us back from the edge of insanity. That was six and a half year's ago." He whispered, shaking his head to rid himself of the images now nestling there.

She waited patiently for him to go on, watching him calm down slightly following the confession he'd just made. Her disgust had slipped slowly but steadily away and had been replaced by another emotion.

Concern.

Actually two emotions, the other one being love.

Love for a man that had a past so awful that he'd buried it deep inside him where it couldn't affect his need to function. Where it couldn't affect his other life here in Trenton. And yet, tonight here he was bearing his soul to her, knowing that, potentially, she'd do the sensible thing and run away.

To leave him vulnerable.

He was handing her his future to do with as she pleased. And that was another reason to love him.

Tonight, Carlos was totally unarmed, in every emotional sense of the word. Totally vulnerable. He knew that he'd given her total control. For a control freak to do that was quite something, she mused.

He was trusting her with his heart.

His soft, tentative speaking broke into her thoughts once again...

"I created Rangeman not long after, keen to distance myself from that other part of my life. Turns out I was good at that too so I soon set up offices in Miami, Boston and Trenton with the help of my partners – Luis Manoso, my father, General Harris from my original army days, Pierre Dupres, AKA Tank and Senator Brackley one of our representatives for New Jersey."

He smiled briefly then continued, slightly more upbeat than before, a wry smile forming on his lips and a soft far away look in his eye.

Looks like his thoughts are turning to more pleasant memories, Steph thought. He paused slightly then looked up directly into her beautiful blue ones.

"Three and a half years ago I took a phone call from someone I owed a huge favour to. This woman had helped me make valuable contacts within the Trenton area which in turn led to my decision to base our head office here. I owed this woman big time so agreed to help her out and as requested met up with her latest colleague to see if I could prevent her from killing herself in her first week as a BEA." Ranger stopped, waiting for Steph to react. She nodded, smiling slightly and gestured for him to continue, her throat had closed up and she knew if she tried to speak, she'd fail.

"The first time I met you I knew you were different and I wanted to help you, but once you phoned me to rescue you from your shower rail, I was totally hooked. Somehow you got under my skin and proceeded to wrap yourself securely round my heart I didn't see it coming and couldn't have done a thing to stop it even if I had. Don't get me wrong, I still continued to indulge my sexual needs, but they no longer satisfied me. I wanted you badly and so came up with the DeChooch deal." He looked a bit sheepish at this point. "It was a dead cert that you would lose our bet. Men like DeChooch never give themselves up to a woman, they're too old school for that, but I was desperate to satisfy my craving so I agreed to a bet I knew I couldn't lose." He stopped and swigged his beer quickly before continuing. Again, he almost managed to smile.

"Unfortunately, that night was everything I could have ever dreamed of and more. It didn't quench my need for you, it made my hunger stronger. So I started to try and poach and apply pressure, hoping that one day you'd leave Morelli for me. Every time you went back to him it tore at my heart, knowing you were his and I had nothing. I bitterly regret the things I told you back then, it was a defensive manoeuvre based on your on/off relationship with him and I'm truly sorry."

He paused for effect.

"Then you agreed to move away and I thought I'd lost you forever."

"The final straw was seeing you in action against Brewster. I have never had so many emotions run round my head at the same time as I did when I held you in that bedroom. I have never been as proud of you as I was then, knowing that you were prepared to risk everything to save a complete stranger. You were magnificent. And you were not mine."

Steph blushed with embarrassment. Ranger had never before opened up to her anything like he was doing now and it was all to do with how badly she treated him. She was still reeling from this revelation when she realised he was talking again.

"The day I had sex with a man was exactly nineteen months, three weeks and four days after the last time I'd had sex with anyone..."

"...and that was with me." Steph whispered, realising that what he'd done with Tank was the act of a desperate man. Her feelings in less than one hour had changed from absolute abhorrence to total love and now complete shame. For three years she'd prick teased Carlos and lied to Joe. Great! It struck her how badly she'd treated both of the men in her life, yet they both hung around, testament to their feelings for her. No wonder the Burg gossip mongers had enjoyed the ride!

Crap!

Suddenly Ranger moved and was settled on his knees before her, holding her hands and looking deep into her eyes. In total submission and ready for the punishment she would surely mete out a result of his confessions. He knew she would banish him. But she had to see, had to know, before she threw him away. He had to tell her everything and now he was about to put the final nail in the coffin...

"I needed human contact. I was frantic." Carlos said, his words spilling forth rapidly in his attempt to get to his assumed loss as quickly as possible. He needed her to be quick, to cut out his heart in one fell swoop and throw him away quickly. He couldn't stand this any longer. Dios! How he loved the woman in front of her and he knew she would want nothing more to do with him. But she had to see, had to know before she dismissed him from her life...

"I wanted you so badly that I couldn't bear the thought of sleeping with another woman. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I felt like I was cheating on you, even though I thought I'd lost you at that point and would never get hold you ever again, let alone love you. Whacking off wasn't cutting it any more and I needed to touch skin, someone else..."

"...so you turned to someone who'd eased your pain before." Steph butted in slowly, trying to calm Carlos down with her soothing tone.

Ranger nodded, almost shyly.

" Who was it, Carlos? Who helped you?" Steph asked, squeezing his hands to reassure him. It was obvious he was terrified.

"Tank." He dropped his head to his chest and seemed to shrink in size as he slumped against the sofa. This was his worst nightmare!. Not only would she see that he was only a man, weak at times like everyone else, certainly not Batman, but he knew for certain he'd lost her for ever. How could he live without her? She was his everything! Christ, why had they had to play Truth or Dare!


	21. Chapter 21

**Thank you so much for your reviews - I've really got some of you thinking, haven't I? More twists and turns to come, but not in this chapter. Just story continuation. Enjoy**  
**xxx**

"Oh, Carlos" Steph sobbed as she leaned forward and gathered up Ranger in her arms. "I'm sorry that I caused you so much pain. Will you ever forgive me?"

Eh?

Ranger mentally shook his head, had he misheard her? Did he hear her correctly? His heart leapt, just in case, mind you.

Forgive her? Forgive her! Only his Babe could ever think that she needed to be forgiven! God, he loved this with woman with all of his broken twisted heart.

Ranger pulled back slightly so that she could see the sincerity in his eyes "you are the most amazing woman I have ever met, Stephanie Michelle Plum, Babe. And I will always love you with everything that I am. You have no idea, Sweetheart, Querida..." he said, tracing the outline of her jaw with his thumb, following the movement with intense eyes.

"...Oh, but I do. If I hadn't pulled and pushed both you and Joe around then none of this would have happened. I cared for you more than I cared for Joe but you made it very clear that you didn't do relationships. Joe always offered that so I kept going back, even though it was you I wanted." Steph sighed deeply then continued.

"You hurt me deeply when you sent me back to him after our night together but I realise now that it was no more than I deserved. I was so wrapped up in my own undecisiveness that I played with both of you, satisfying a need to be chased by the two most lusted after bachelors in New Jersey. Without a thought to how I was really treating you! Looking back on the past three and a half years, I'm surprised that neither of you ever wanted to strangle me!"

The look he gave suggested that the idea had crossed his mind.

Steph laughed as she pulled him towards her again. "Carlos, whatever we have now is great and the way we both feel suggests we could be fantastic, but we need to really be adult about our relationship. I need you, but I need to be able to talk to you, not the Badass Bounty Hunter who doesn't do relationships, not Batman who hides his heart at every opportunity, but you. Do you think you, Carlos, who had a teddy called Binky, can do that?"

"Yeah, I promise. Do you think, Babe that you will stop running away if I try to lay down the law when I think you're in danger? Can you please talk to me when I piss you off."

"Yeah, I promise."

"One more thing, Carlos."

"?"

"Could you please work on your phone manners?"

"I'll try, Babe, but don't hold your breath!" he said grinning.

They looked deeply into each other's eyes as they leant forward to seal their promises with a kiss. "you may kiss the bride..." Ranger thought as he melted into the arms of the woman of his dreams.

o0o0o0o0o0o

The morning broke with a cheerful smile – the sun glinting through the blinds on the sleeping lovers. Carlos started to stir and sighed contently as he felt Steph's naked limbs entwined in his own. This felt so right. Last night had been incredible. After all the emotion came the physical hunger and they'd sealed the deal with hour after hour of love making. Some was tear-jerkingly tender, some was red hot fiery passion. He stretched languidly, trying not to wake his Babe, but nature called and he slipped out from under her, walking slowly to the bathroom. Life was good!

When he returned to the bedroom , Steph moaned slightly as the bed dipped under his weight. He reached forward and kissed the tip of her nose gently. She swatted him away as if he was a fly, he chuckled, got up, pulled on his trousers and wandered into the kitchen to start breakfast.

Opening the fridge door, he smiled a wry grin. It was practically empty. It was obvious how Steph maintained her beautiful body – she ate when she could. If there was nothing in the apartment she couldn't pick or nibble. Interesting logic he decided as he dialled up Ella, asking her to come to the rescue.

He fed Rex who fixed him with a beady eye. "I bet you could tell a few stories, eh, little fella?" he said, crouching down to look at the hamster whose whiskers were twitching "on second thoughts, maybe it's safer this way." He continued to no-one in particular as he stood up. Rex stared blankly for a few seconds then turned his back on Ranger and nibbled on the carrot he'd been given.

Whilst waiting for his food parcel, Ranger put the coffee pot on and returned to the doorway of Steph's bedroom, leaning against it with his arms crossed gently over his chest as he revelled in the sight before him. Steph was now laying on her side sprawled diagonally across the bed, her hair was wild, spreading out over the pillow. Her lips were slightly open in a faint smile and her long lashes framed her large, closed eyes. His cock twitched in anticipation, but he ignored it. She must be sore after their nocturnal acrobatics and he knew she'd need caffeine and sugar if they were to continue where they'd left off last night.

The doorbell rang a few minutes later and he reluctantly pulled himself up off the architrave to go and answer it. As he turned he spotted the love puzzle resting on her dressing table, a layer of bright white shiny concentric circles making up the now much smaller ball, glinting in the new born day.

He grinned as he went to get breakfast.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"So, plans for the day, Batman?" Steph asked, leaning across the table to flick a bagel crumb off Ranger's top lip. He leaned into the intimate gesture, parting his lips slightly, she traced their outline before reluctantly pulling away. He gave her a wolf grin and picked his cup up, taking a long draw on its contents.

"Well, I need to go to Haywood and check in, sort out a couple of accounts and catch up with Tank and Santos. I've also got a meeting I'd like to schedule. Do you remember that woman I was telling you about? The one I needed to watch Twilight for? Well, I'm hoping I can persuade her to come in at lunch time and discuss a business proposition that I have. Then I'll finish off a proposal I've been working on and head up to my apartment about 7.15."

Steph smiled as she stirred her coffee "What time do you want this woman to come in?"

"Lunchtime?"

"Which is?"

"12.45"

"I'll make sure she's free."

"Good. I'd better go" he said, getting up and kissing the top of her hair which was still damp after their marathon session in the shower.

She walked him to the door "Thank you, Carlos" she whispered, pulling him towards her for a kiss, her hands snaked round his back and up by his shoulders.

"What for Amante?" he replied as he came up for air, holding her head in his hands.

"For trusting me enough to let me in."

He smiled and pulled her back in for another bone melting kiss.

"See you at 12.45" he said as he walked out.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Here she comes! Quick, quick!" yelled Grandma Mazur as Steph's battered old red Escort pulled up outside the house. Edna raced through to the kitchen and plopped herself down at the small table grabbing a mug of coffee en route. Ellen quickly joined her, filling her cup before settling down opposite her mother.

Funny, thought Steph as she pulled up, no sign of her Mum or Grandmother. Maybe they were out? No, the car was there. Weird!

She parked up anyway and got out, walking slowly up to the front door. She could feel the eyes of the Burg on her and she found the whole thing a bit disconcerting.

The front door opened to her touch and she stuck her head round the door. "Helloooo, is anybody here?"

"In the kitchen, Steph," came the reply.

Curiouser and curiouser she thought as she made her way to the back of the building where she found her Mother and Grandmother pouring over magazines. One of which was upside down.

"Er, Hi Mum, Grandma" she said, pouring out a cup of steamy caffeinated goodness.

"Hi" the two women chimed in casual unison, nonchalantly flicking through the gossip pages.

"Had many phone calls?" Steph ventured, dreading the reply.

"Not as many as we thought" Edna replied, smugly. "Seems Angela had already sent word out that we were to be left alone, so the only phone calls we got were asking what we'd done to deserve such special treatment from her."

"What indeed." Thought Steph to herself. Perhaps she needed to pay Joe's mother a visit to say thanks.

"Mum, Grandma, Carlos and I had a really good heart to heart last night. He made me realise a few things and I need your advice" she began...

o0o0o0o0o0o

Ranger almost skipped as he got out of his car at Haywood and nearly bumped into Santos and Hector who were on their way out to scope out a new client's security requirements. They looked at their boss with interest.

"Morning" said Ranger raising his hand in the universal stop sign as Santos opened his mouth, Lester quickly shut it again. "Les, you know the latest book about me and Steph?"

Santos tried to look all innocent but Ranger gave him a knowing look so he nodded his head instead.

"Ram won, by the way." He left his two colleagues, whose jaws had dropped to the floor, in stunned silence and chuckled and as he entered the lift, he actually did a couple of skips.

Life was sooo good.

"What just happened there?" asked Hector, in Spanish.

"I think the Boss just allowed himself to fall in love."

"Wow."

"Yeah, wow."

Up on 5, Tank was walking past the monitors when he heard a sharp intake of breath from one of his men. Not normally a good sign so he stopped to take a look. He saw Carlos in the garage heading to lift number one, no doubt going up to 7, but what really caught his eye was the look on Hector and Les's faces.

"Patch me in to what they're saying" he instructed Cal.

"...I think the boss just allowed himself to fall in love."

"Wow."

"Yeah, wow."

Cal and Tank looked at each other as huge grins stretched over their battle worn faces and gave each other a high five.

Tank returned to his office, shut the door and dialled Silvio.

"Yo, Who had the book in Ranger and Steph?"

"Which aspect?"

"Admitting their feelings."

"Ram."

"What does the book stand at?"

"£8,000."

"Lucky bastard."

"Yeah, but not as lucky as Rangeman."

o0o0o0o0o0o

After a very pleasant and helpful visit, Steph made to leave. As she got up her phone rang.

"It's him, isn't it? Ranger with the big package." Edna ventured excitedly.

Steph glared in warning so Edna kept her next thought to herself, whatever it was.

"Yo."

...

"Yeah, you too."

"Ok, I'm just leaving" small giggle "I'll be there in 15."

...

"Bye."

"damn..."

"Damn?" asked Ellen.

"Yeah, his phone manners are terrible. He put the phone down before I had a chance to say goodbye."

"Is that normal?"

"Pretty much. It's nothing personal, he does it to everyone!"

Ellen noticed Steph was grinning at that last comment and felt pleased that her quirky daughter had found someone who made her smile.

Steph got into her car, heading back to Haywood, she picked up her phone and dialled Angela Morelli.

Angela picked up on the third ring "Hello, Angela Morelli speaking."

"Hi, Angela, it's Steph. Are you free this afternoon, say 4-ish?"

"Let me just check. Yep, looking good."

"Fab, I'll see you then and I'll be bringing donuts."

"Sounds ominous!"

"No, I just need your help with something."

o0o0o0o0o0o


	22. Chapter 22

**As always many thanks for your reviews. kepp 'em comin' makes me write faster!  
**

Steph fobbed her way into Haywood and parked her faded red POS next to Ranger's Cayenne. She realised that subtly she'd been part of his life for a while now. How long had she had her own parking space? Forever it would seem, but it had only just dawned on her.

She finger waved to the cameras as she made her way up to 5. Stepping out of the lift she felt all eyes turn to her. The movement was miniscule but had set off her spidey sense. What! She thought as she headed towards Ranger's office.

She knocked gently and poked her head in. Ranger was on the phone but waved her in so she slid into the chair opposite him. Her eyes scanning his beautiful form. He was so delicious, she thought.

"Glad you think so Babe" he said wearing a wolf grin after he'd put the phone down. She blushed.

"Ready for your interview?" he asked as he stood up and stepped round to her side and leant against the desk in front of her, his long legs planted either side of her own. He held out his hands and pulled her up to his chest. "I'm told I interrogate very hard and fast" he whispered as his lips grazed her ear lobe.

She leaned into him "I can't wait" she replied breathlessly.

Someone knocked on the open door as they entered, emitting a small, embarrassed cough.

Ranger looked out over Steph's head. "We'll be there in a second, get us some lunch, will you, Tank?"

"K" came the reply and then he was gone.

"Tank?"

"Hey, he knows that you know, he's cool with it. Even offered a foursome with him and Lula."

Steph grimaced in horror "Don't worry Babe, I'm joking. About him being cool about it, that is."

Steph's face must have been a picture as Ranger roared with laughter, tipping his head back slightly as he did so.

While Steph was still recovering, Ranger pulled her out of his office and into Meeting Room 3 – the smallest of all the conference rooms. He was still smirking. Tank was already installed with a selection of healthy sandwiches, fruit and water and was busy shuffling some paperwork that was laid out in front of him. He nodded as they entered and sat down, helping himself to some food.

"Take a seat, Babe."

Steph sat down wondering what was going on as Ranger pushed a plate of sandwiches at her.

"Tank and I would like to offer you a full time job here at Rangeman." Ranger opened with then went on to outline the job for her.

Half an hour later, Steph was on probation as Rangeman's newest recruit. Tank had had to leave a few minutes earlier so Ranger stayed to help her complete the necessary forms. As Ranger stood up to leave, paperwork in hand, Steph stopped him. "I need to talk to you about something else. Do you have a few minutes?"

"Sure, Babe" he replied, "I'll just drop this stuff off with Tank and I'll see you in my office in 5?"

"Will do."

Ranger stepped back into his office a few minutes later, Steph was standing by the window looking out over the smog filled skies of Trenton. He walked over and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned back into him and sighed contentedly. He smiled as he nuzzled into her hair, inhaling her scent.

They stood like that for a few moments whilst Steph gathered her thoughts.

"Carlos, I've been thinking."

"I know, Babe, I can see the smoke" he joked. She batted his arm playfully.

"Your comments last night made me take a long hard look at myself and I must admit, I don't much like what I see."

Ranger didn't move he just patiently waiting for her to continue, placing soft kisses in her hair.

"I realised that I hurt both you and Joe by my behaviour and whilst I got my happy ending, I don't think I've been very fair to Joe. Especially in the way I got _that_ message across."

She turned slightly in his arms to look up into his eyes. She knew he could see the shame that was standing there, waving, pathetically.

"I need to make my peace with Joe, if he'll let me. He's just started a new job in a new area. He's not many friends there yet and thanks to his own actions he's lost a few round here too. I still have feelings for him and want him to be happy, because of and despite all that has happened between us." She rested her head back on his shoulder and stared out of the window again, waiting for his reply. When it came it made her heart soar.

"Proud of you, Babe. Need any help?" He gave her a slight squeeze to reinforce his support.

"Not sure yet, I'm meeting with Joe's Mum later so will hold fire until then. Thanks though, Carlos. Your support and understanding means a lot to me."

"Just don't agree to doing anything that keeps you busy this weekend. I have plans for you from Friday to Sunday night."

"Oh yeah? Tell me more."

"Cuban dancing."

"Cuban dancing?"

"Yeah, like the Salsa, Mambo and Habanera. In Miami."

"Miami?"

"Yeah. Game?"

"Absolutely. What do I need to wear?"

"Go find out" Ranger replied, smiling into her hair before spinning her round and looking into her eyes. "Go spend some of the money I gave you for your birthday." His eyes glinting with anticipation.

"The sexier the better" he added, trailing a lazy finger down her throat, between her breasts and to her waist.

She squirmed and stopped him going any further. "Not here" she whispered "not now". Taking a large gulp as she pulled out of his forcefield. Ranger's phone rang and he sighed as he stooped to answer it. She left him deep in conversation and gave him a small finger wave which he returned as he dropped slitently into his chair.

Passing Tank's door Steph saw the large man mulling over a document. She knocked quickly. It was now or never. Tank looked up and nodded for her to enter.

"Thanks for looking after Ranger" Steph started looking pointedly at him.

Damn! Thought Tank, she's cool with it? Lula would throw a Rhino fit of epic proportions! "S'ok, no worries" he replied calmly. "It's what friends do. Help each other, I mean."

He thought back to the first time he'd met her. That night he thought Carlos had lost his mind inviting her to their clean up operation, especially when he dealt with the druggie . The expression on her face as he sailed out of the window and onto the fire excape was something he'd never forget. Yet here she was three years later, bigger, bolder and more dynamic. With his best friend wrapped round her little finger and she had no idea how fabulous she was. Ranger had seen her potential even then. Perhaps that is why Carlos was so successful at everything he turned his hands too, he just saw more than the average Joe did.

"Can I be really nosey."

"Depends."

"How many times have you 'helped' him and him you?" she asked, putting air quotes round the word help.

"Twice and twice."

"Let's keep it to that number, shall we?"

"Fine by me."

She smiled and turned to leave.

"Look after him well, Bomber. He's my best friend and he's never been in love before."

She turned back again "I promise, Tank." She confirmed then walked out and off to Angela's Morelli's house.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Hi there, come on in" said Angela as she answered the door.

Steph walked in. It felt strange to be here, talking about Joe. Angela sensed her apprehension so took her hand and led her to the lounge where she'd laid out coffee. Steph handed her the donuts which she decanted onto a plate, leaving momentarily to put the bag in her recycling bin.

Steph sat down nervously and waited.

"Dig in" Angela said as she returned, grinning as she plopped herself down and began to pour out the coffee.

"I need your help" said Steph as she went on to explain the conversation she'd had with Ranger and her feelings of guilt over the way she treated both men. "I'm not trying to appease my own conscience, just make amends. Two wrongs don't make a right." She finished with.

"How did my son ever let you go?" Angela said, shaking her head slightly. "Such a fool! But I can see you're happier now. How is the enigmatic Ranger?" she asked, changing the subject while she tried to think about what Steph had just said.

"I think there may be something you could do. Not that I'm into blind dates or setting someone up. But in this case I might have a suggestion..."

They finished their donuts and coffee as Angela explained what she had in mind.

As Steph left, she gave Angela a great big hug. The woman in front of her was incredible. Strong, charismatic, warm and multifaceted. She had been through so much with her own husband and mother yet here she was, plotting with her son's ex-girlfriend to try and make him happy again. Go figure! A stray thought entered her head - she would have been pleased to have her as her Mother-in-Law. Wait up, thinking about Mother-in-Law's? It made her stop and wonder what Ranger's mum was like. That suggested commitment and marriage. Was she ready for any or all of that with Carlos?

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph wandered into her apartment and checked on Rex and the dust bunnies under her bed. Well, she didn't want them to have any companions. Like a snake or a gun-wielding lunatic. She giggled as she finished her sweep of the rooms before plopping onto the bed to assume her thinking position.

The last few days had been quite something. Joe was no longer an option. Carlos was so much more than one. Angela Morelli and her own mother were being incredible. She had a proper, full time grown up job at Rangeman with variety, responsibility _and_ even bond work. Even the BBC (Burg Broadcasting Corporation*) was treating her kindly. Wow!

She idly ran through random thoughts when a slight clicking sound brought her out of her reveree. She looked down to her hands, which was where the noise had come from to find that she was holding the love puzzle. She shimmied up the bed so that she was leaning back against the headboard. What had made the clicking sound? She tried to twist the concentric pieces then it hit her. Each piece was designed to move. Obviously it was some sort of combination lock. She looked more closely at the pieces, now if only she could work out what the combination was...


	23. Chapter 23

"He's on his way."

"Thanks. Oh, and thanks for the help."

"No worries."

o0o0o0o0o0o

Ranger stepped through the door and climbed the stairs to 7. It had been a good day, made better by Steph's decision to join the team. He knew she would be an asset, with her business knowledge and personable character she'd have potential clients eating out of her hand and charge them double for the privilege. He couldn't wait for his family to meet her, she'd wrap them round her little finger as she had him. He chuckled, as in his mind's eye he could see his father trying to work her out. He'd reached his destination and opened the door to his apartment, hoping he had a visitor.

As he put his keys in the dish in his hall he knew something was different. There was a subtle smell he couldn't quite identify wafting its way up his nostrils and the lights from within his apartment were down low. What had his woman been up to? His woman. Where had that come from? He didn't care, the statement sounded so good. Was Steph 'his'? He certainly hoped so. She only had three more layers to his love puzzle. Was it going to all work out as he had planned when he'd commissioned it? His thoughts wandered back to the smells coming from the lounge and the surprise that undoubtedly awaited him there...

o0o0o0o0o0o

He rounded the corner and smiled. Steph had been very busy, probably with a little help from her friends. The room was now transformed into a beach. Three large inflatable palm trees had been placed round the edge of a small paddling pool which had three or four inches of water in it. There were live fish bobbing about, trying to work out why their latest home was not glass fronted.

Two wicker sun loungers, complete with pale cream cushions and garish towels flanked the 'sea' and there were dried starfish, mermaid's lanterns and huge conche shells dotted over several sand coloured textured rugs which covered most of the floor. There was even a couple of buckets and a spade placed next to the paddling pool.

He could now identify the smell –candles in coconut shells dotted the room, giving off soft flickering light and their unmistakeable sickly sweet aroma.

Ranger grinned at the sight in front of him. "Only you, Babe" he muttered chuckling as he wandered off to drop his guns into the safe. He looked at his bed and laughed out loud. There, in the middle was a pair of surfer shorts made from bright pink camouflage print material. He heard sounds from the kitchen and yelled through that he was going to freshen up. He shucked his clothes off with practised efficiency, tossing them into his laundry bin as he ambled into his bathroom. Minutes later he went in search of Steph, clean and sparkly, dressed only in the pink shorts with a pair of Raybans high on his head holding his hair back from his face.

"I'm in the kitchen" Steph yelled so he wandered in search of his amazing woman.

He turned the corner and his breath hitched in his throat. She was wearing a sheer pale bronze sarong which encased a tiny black bikini. Her hair was pinned at the sides and tumbled behind her ears and down her pale neck. She had flipflops on her feet. In her hands she was holding two pale peach coloured cocktails, one of which she offered to him.

Ranger took the glass giving it a suspicious look before taking a tentative sip. It was actually rather tasty, but he could tell it packed one hell of a punch.

Before he could make any comment, she pulled him out of the kitchen and into the lounge.

"You like?" she asked.

"Yeah, but why?" he replied, looking non-plussed. For once in his life he'd been completely flummoxed. He had no idea what was going on but for the first time in a long time, he really didn't care.

"Sex on the beach, Ranger"

"?"

"The name of the cocktail. It's called sex on the beach." She was giggling as she finished the sentence and began to sip her drink coyly, her large blue eyes blinking with fake innocence.

"Babe" he said, stepping closer enveloping her in his force field. He was still non the wiser.

"I'm celebrating"

"?" Boy, I'm being really eloquent, he thought.

Steph walked off into the bedroom and returned a few moments later with a hand full of bright white delicate hoops of varying sizes which she presented to him. "I figured out another layer" she smiled as she took another sip of her drink.

"Really?" he said, a wolf grin sliding over his face.

"Yeah. And I've got a new job. Boss is a bit scary but the men who work with him are all really hot!" she grinned back.

"Really?" he said, moving closer, his grin had turned predatory and it sent tingles through her body.

"Yeah. Boss is not too bad to look at either."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I think it will work out OK. That's if I keep my Boss happy." She took a step forward and coquettishly sipped from her straw.

"Really?" he said moving closer so that they were almost touching.

"So, sex on the beach, you like?"

He took the drink from her hand and placed both glasses on a small table nestled between the sun loungers.

Stepping back to her he quickly enclosed her in his arms. "I'll give you sex on the beach" he said grinning. And he did, several times.

Later that night as they lay on the loungers, hands entwined across the divide. He sighed contentedly.

"Why the beach theme, Babe?"

"Couldn't resist. I've never been to Miami so thought I'd create my own version here so that we could practice sunbathing together." Ranger laughed so hard her nearly fell off his bed. Steph stood up and walked off, her back to him.

He stood up and moved behind her "Babe, I'm sorry!" he whispered, clearly he'd upset her. Crap!

She turned back laughing and reached behind the sofa and pulled out two lilos. "Carlos! Don't worry, you didn't upset me! I hoped the whole evening would make you laugh. I love hearing you laugh." With that she threw the two airbeds down on the floor. "Thought you might want to sleep on the beach tonight" she whispered as she lay down, pulling him down on top of her.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph left Ranger on the phone explaining to Ella that there was a rather strange cleaning requirement today. He was grinning at some comment that his superstar housekeeper had made as she stepped past him. He quickly grabbed her and pulled her in so that he could kiss the top of her head before smacking her gently on her behind and pushing her out of the door.

She grinned, blew him a kiss and set off in the direction of the stairs.

What? Have to start the fitness regime sometime, she thought. Down is easier than up after all, let's start with down for a coupla weeks...

o0o0o0o0o0o

The queue at the Tasty Pasty was huge so Steph decided to make a few phone calls while she waited for her turn. Starting with her Mum, then Mary Lou and finally Eddie Gazarra. Just as she finished her calls it was her turn to order and as the treats on offer were still piping hot she ordered double her usual amount. After all, she reasoned, she'd run several horizontal marathons last night and if she kept it up she'd fade away. Plus she was sure that running, ok walking fast. Oh, alright then, sliding down the banisters must have used up at least half a donut's worth of calories, didn't it?

She loaded her car up with her booty and set off for the Bonds Office. She arrived just as Lula barrelled in carrying three large coffees. Great team work or what!

Two minutes later three women were up to their eyeballs in sugar and caffeine. Good start to a promising day.

"So, Connie, what have you got for me?" Steph asked between slurps of hot liquid heaven.

"Same old, same old. Two new ones and one repeat offender."

"Not Mooner again, please!" Steph said groaning. She couldn't face another round of endless TV shows.

"No, you turned him in not long ago. He's not had a chance to reoffend. It's the bag lady Eula Rothridge."

"What's she done this time?"

"Relieved herself in a public place."

"Really? Anywhere interesting?"

"Yeah, the Mayor's office."

"Wow!"

"Yeah, it says here she didn't like that he's been trying to get her into accommodation for years and she is fed up with his constant need to look after her. She thought this latest statement would get her point across."

"Go figure!" Steph thought about it and could see where Eula was coming from. She'd promised Ranger she wouldn't run off if he went all caveman on her, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

Having finished their breakfast, Lula and Steph set off to capture their three FTA's.

"Hey!" said Connie as Lula stood up to leave. "Where do you think you're going, there's filing to be done!"

"White girls' gonna need some back up, Eula's very slippery. I'm the only one in this room that she's wary of. She behaves or I sit on her and she knows that."

True, thought Steph. Deciding how much of Eula's good behaviour was due to Lula's size and how much was due to her dress sense which today was enough to shock anyone into submission.

Lula looked at her partner. "What? Tankie picked out this outfit. My hunk of burnin' love knows what looks great on me."

Yeah, in the bedroom, perhaps, thought Steph grimly as they set off to find their prey.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Four hours later found Steph and Lula in Steph's apartment. She just stepped out of the shower and was wrapped in a towel, her hair up in a turban. How come it was always her that rolled in the mud?" She looked at her partner in crime who was busy filing her nails, whilst gossiping on the phone and rolled her eyes. Life wasn't fair!

The phone rang. "Babe, how's the shopping going? I thought we'd head off on Friday morning so that you can practice your sunbathing..."

Crap! In the thrill of the chase, Steph had forgotten about Miami.

"Fine" she replied casually.

"That well, huh?"

"Ok. Ok, so I'll be ready for Friday. What time?"

"Our plane leaves at 11.15. Do you want to stay over as we've got our film ciritiqueing Club the previous evening."

"Sounds good to me."

"Bye Babe."

"Bye, Carlos. Oh and thank you."

"?"

"For saying goodbye."

"Only for you Babe, only for you."

Steph stared at the phone then looked up to see Lula checking her out.

"He said 'goodbye'" she said by way of explanation.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really."

There was a slight pause from both women as they took in the significance of what had just happened, then Steph came out of her daze and sprang into action.

"Shopping! We need to go shopping!" she yelled out as she dashed off into her bedroom to get dressed.


	24. Chapter 24

Steph lay on her bed later that night. She'd decided that after the excitement of the last couple of weeks she needed some down time. On her own. Carlos had understood and said he was working late anyway, but if she changed her mind she knew where to find him. She'd said she was exhausted and needed a full night's sleep. He'd just laughed and told her to catch up so that he could wear her out again.

She gazed over at the dress she'd bought with Lula's help. They'd surfed the web and found a small specialist ballroom and latin dance shop just outside town and they'd had plenty of choice. She'd chosen a simple sleeveless number. The stretchy and very fitted boob-tube finished just below her b-cups and was solid black. The middle section was sheer black and clung to her slim frame, the left hand side of which finished at her waist and the right hand side dipped to finish on her hip. The skirt section was solid black and also assymetrical the right hand side finishing just below her bottom and the left had side ending half way down her thigh. It had built in big knickers (ala Bridget Jones) to hold her ass in place and the skirt flared slightly to allow her to move. The top acted as a bra so she'd not needed to buy any other underwear. All she had to hope was that she'd remember some of the moves she'd learnt as a school girl.

Just along from the dancewear shop was a lingerie shop and she'd spent a fortune on a black and white bra, waspie and panties by Agent Provocateur called Fenella. It all came out of Carlos' donation to the cause (she reckoned) and it was all to help expand her horizons. Ok, it just looked so good on and even gave her a waist. Perhaps someone else's trousers, er horizons might expand when she modelled it for him!

Her thoughts returned to the meeting at Rangeman...

"_Tank has details of the package we would want to offer you and for that we would expect you to work here full time, bring in the mid-range skips and run searches. We need to show a softer side to some of our clients as most of us can look intimidating which is where you also come in. You get to charm them into signing with us. Finally, and this is non-negotiable, you would be expected to use the gym and gun range." Ranger stopped and looked pointedly, expecting some sort of immature reaction, all he got was a stunned face and silence._

_He continued "You would be on a three month probation after which time your salary would go up by 15%. The package also comes with accommodation which you don't have to take, but is there anyway." An unspoken thought flicked over his face - he hoped she would never take it up – he wanted her to move up to 7._

"_How does that all sound?"_

_..._

"_Babe?"_

"_Yeah, great! I just wasn't expecting it. What makes you so sure I'm good for this role. It seems to come with a lot of expectations. Are you sure it's me you want, not Jean Ellen?"_

_Tank chuckled, standing up. "I think you Guys need time to discuss this" he said as he passed the paperwork to his friend. "When you're done, just come find me. My shift finishes in an hour so you've got till then." He walked towards the door "I expect you to stay focused on the job – this room isn't sound proofed you know." That final comment was accompanied by a knowing stare._

_Steph blushed and Ranger chuckled._

So much had happened in such a short space of time and everything was so perfect. She couldn't believe that her man of mystery was opening up so much and in such a wonderful way. She'd really enjoyed 'tea at the Ritz' and learning how to fold paper. She couldn't wait to go to Miami. What else did he had up his sleeve, she wondered.

The love puzzle was considerably smaller as she rolled it round in the palm of her hand. It was now just a bit smaller than a tennis ball and bright blue in colour. The texture was springy and very bumpy and reminded her of something but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. She stared at it for a while, completely at a loss as to where to start with figuring it out.

o0o0o0o0o0o

After a great night's sleep and with full batteries Steph bounced out of bed and headed for the shower. No, she hadn't been taken away in the night and replaced by an alien who loved mornings. It was 5 past 12.

5 past 12! Crap! She thought, where has the day gone? She needed to pack for her trip, pop by the office, find her copy of Terminator and beautify herself and she had only 7 hours to do it all in! She stepped up the pace and was packed up and in her car by 3.30 and on her way to see Connie. Hurray!

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Yo."

...

"Yeah."

...

"Dios! Tell Mama we'll see you all when we get there."

...

"No, I haven't told her yet."

...

"I will."

...

"Ok, ok!"

The Phone call was short and not so sweet. Right now Carlos wasn't sure he'd done the right thing by suggesting a trip to Miami. The decision had been made, Miami was beckoning and he really wanted Babe to experience all that it would be offering. Would she forgive him for omitting to tell her that she'd be meeting up with his family? Only time would tell. He ran his hand over his face and sighed deeply. Good job his door was shut. He didn't want his men to know how worried he was about his weekend away and what Steph would make of his family.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph had completed her errands in double quick time and wanted to get to Haywood asap. She was excited about their weekend away. She just wished he'd open up enough to want her to meet his family.

Perhaps she wasn't worthy? Wasn't she good enough? Perhaps they'd think she was a gold digger? God forbid!

She put her thoughts to one side. He'd told her he loved her hadn't he? His actions over the past couple of weeks had reinforced that sentiment without any doubt. No, she was just being silly.

Perhaps he was just unsure about committing to their someday.

She pulled up to the gates and pressed her keyfob. The doors swung silently inward, beckoning her forward. Ominously....

Stop it! He loves you unconditionally. Said Sensible Steph. Get him to prove it – tell him you want to meet his family. See what his reaction will be. Said Stupid Steph.

She shook her head and drove in, parking next to Ranger's Porsche. Stepping out of the car, she squared her shoulders and set off towards 5.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Got a minute?" Steph asked as she popped her head round Tank's door.

"Sure." He replied, looking up from his computer screen he leant back in his chair, swivelling it slightly to relieve the tension in his neck and lower back.

"When do you want me to start, officially, as an employee of Rangeman?"

"Tuesday sound good? I've got a couple of internal meetings and evaluations to do which will tie me up most of Monday."

"Great!" she replied, a little over enthusiastically. Tank gave her a look.

"What! Aren't I supposed to be excited?" she said smiling.

Tank ignored her outburst and continued "8.15 start on Tuesday. Please bring you gun with you and any bullets you may have for it." He grinned inwardly at the thought of her scrabbling round her flat wondering where she'd last seen her ammo.

Steph rolled her eyes, "you know I don't have any Tank!"

He chuckled out loud slightly then reached into his top drawer and pulled out a piece of paper. "Here, take this list of things you'll also need to bring with you, like gym gear and running shoes. You do have running shoes, don't you? Please tell me you have running shoes" his look went from amused to exasperated in under a second as he realised that she didn't have those either.

Steph started to shake her head as she scanned the list. "looks like I'm going to have to go shopping" she said softly, shaking her head.

"Yeah, do that Bomber" he replied doing his own eye roll.

Hey, Tank gets cranky, way to go, Plum! Said Stupid Steph. Sensible Steph kicked her.

Steph muttered a farewell of sorts and ambled out of his office still looking down the list.

Tank swivelled his chair so that he was looking out of the window. What was it with him and Ranger? Both of them had fallen in love with two of the most eccentric women on the planet. He let out a sigh as he watched a bird fly past the window then turned round and resumed staring at his screen. God help us all, he thought darkly.

o0o0o0o0o0o

The room went dark and someone muttered "finally some real violence" which was followed by the sound of someone being hit and "ow, what was that for?"

Steph giggled and leaned further into her mocha latte pillow.

"Shhhhh!" said someone else tersely. Ranger kissed the top of Steph's head and relaxed back to watch the film.

Two hours later the movie was over, the bathroom breaks finished and the drinks replenished. No-one wanted to discuss the film in great detail so the conversation had turned to more general topics. Ranger set off for the kitchen and motioned for Steph to follow him, she silently did so.

He held his arms wide and she melted into his embrace. He kissed her head.

"Babe"

"I'm fine"

"Sure?"

"Why?"

"Oh, I don't know, you seem a little preoccupied that's all."

She snuggled further into him, took a deep breath and figured it was now or never. "Carlos, will I ever get to meet your family? I mean, you're not embarrassed by me or anything are you?"

Ranger chuckled. "Babe."

"I mean it, Ranger. I know that we're both new to this relationship, but you never mention them. Am I not good enough?"

He released his hold slightly so that he could tip her chin up with a finger. "I didn't know how to tell you but I've made plans for you to meet everyone this weekend. I was worried that I'd overstepped the mark by doing so. I'm glad that you want to meet them, they are really keen to meet you." He leaned forward and kissed her nose. "I love you so much it hurts, Stephanie Michelle Plum" he sighed and pulled her back into his embrace.

They stood silently for a moment or two.

"So, how many more films have you got lined up for us all?"

"Depends."

"on?"

"Whether everyone wants to watch True Lies, True Grit and The Wizard of Oz."

Ranger chuckled deep in his chest "only you, Babe, only you."

Steph smiled into his chest and hugged him tighter.

Not long after that they returned to the lounge and joined in the conversation.

At some point in the evening the subject of the film for the next week turned up and Steph gave everyone the chance to dip out. Turns out that everyone was really enjoying the experience and even seemed game on when Steph suggested the wizard of Oz as being a potential future viewing. Go figure!

Mary Lou and Lenny were the first to leave as their babysitter had an exam the next morning and needed to get home. The last of the guests left just before midnight.

Whilst tidying the room round Steph noticed a thin black strap peeking out from under the sofa and went to investigate. Pulling out the top from her bikini from two night's earlier she turned to Ranger and dangled the tiny scrap of fabric at him. He growled and went to grab her and she ran off into the bedroom laughing as he gave chase.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Shit, shit, SHIT!" Ranger exploded down the phone as his hand was poised to take hold of the coffee cup from the breakfast bar. Instead he began to pace up and down the kitchen listening intently to the caller on the other end.

Steph guessed something was wrong. Couldn't quite work out why she thought that. She carried on sipping her pineapple juice and licking the honey that was dripping out of her bagel.

The room had gone silent so she turned to see Ranger looking at her, his eyes pooled with lust as her tongue flicked over the sticky sweet condiment.

"Sorry" she managed to cough out. Ranger glared at her and resumed his pacing. Hey! At least I wasn't moaning out loud she thought angrily.

Moments later he got off the phone. "Babe, I've some bad news. I've got to go into the wind."

"When?"

"Next month."

"How long for?"

"Short and sweet."

"Oh, that's OK then, I thought you were about to tell me it was for 6 months." She quipped back, trying to lighten the mood.

"You don't understand, this is a potential suicide mission."

**Sorry, couldn't resist leaving it there. Hey, I told you this was a roller coaster ride of a story!!!**

**Thanks for your comments by the way. They keep me very happy at night as my stories are hatched...**


	25. Chapter 25

**Sorry this chapter is so short, but I think it needed to be.**

Silence. Everywhere. Black and engulfing.

Suddenly there was a faint light and a soft voice.

"Babe?"

"Babe!"

"Come back to me, please?"

How could she resist him when he said that word? She focused on his voice and struggled back up from the black.

She opened her eyes to find that she was on the couch. When had that happened? Last thing she remembered was licking honey off her bagel.

Ah, then the phone call.

And the revelation.

She looked up into his beautiful brown eyes that were full of sadness. "This is why I don't do relationships, Babe." Ranger said softly, smoothing the hair from her face.

She whimpered at his touch, his fingers burning her skin. She couldn't imagine what she'd do if she never felt him again. Big tears filled her eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks.

"Please, don't Babe." He whispered, his own eyes welling up. He grabbed her tightly to him as their world collapsed and tears and sobs filled the room. Not all of them from the body of Stephanie Plum.


	26. Chapter 26

**Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews. I don't mean to be so horrible but I did warn you that this was a roller coaster ride (says she, hiding under the bed with Steph's dust bunnies...)**

The journey had been a sombre one and both had agreed that this was their private nightmare, no one else was to know, so nothing was said on the way to the airport. Both of them were locked in their own thoughts while their bodies constantly touched each other for comfort. They stepped out of the car and walked across the tarmac hand in hand, Zero silently following behind with the luggage, he'd be taking the Cayenne back to Haywood. He knew something was up but didn't want to intrude so left them to their musings.

Steph gasped as she stood and gaped at the small plane in front of them.

"But it's so _small_! We could crash! Does it have big enough engines to keep us in the sky?"

"Relax, Babe, it'll be fine." He said as she drew her to him, kissing the top of her hair and inhaling her scent. "It's even got a bedroom" he whispered. He heard her gasp and grinned at her reaction. This distraction was just what the doctor ordered. They'd face reality soon enough. Now Steph needed memories, just in case. "Thought you might want to join the mile high club," he quipped "in the name of expanding your horizons, naturally" he continued, grazing the shell of her ear with his lips.

She grinned at him and gave his hand a squeeze "Naturally! S'pose it would take my mind off the size of the engines" she said grinning. She needed him and his love now more than ever. It may need to last her a lifetime she thought darkly.

They boarded the plane and before the end of the flight Steph had expanded her horizons. Again and again and again.

o0o0o0o0o0o

The weather in Miami was blistering as the lovers stepped off the plane, joined at the waist by Ranger's muscular arm. A silver haired and slightly more stocky version of Ranger stepped up to meet them.

"Papa!" Ranger said as he reached out his hand and did the manly hug and back clapping thing before stepping away and giving the man a grin. "Long time no see, how's things here in Miami?"

"Things are fine, except that your mother wants me to let you know that you should come up more often. She misses you." He gave Ranger a knowing look before turning with a smile to Steph. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"

"Sorry! Papa, this is Stephanie Plum. Babe, this is my father, Luis Manoso."

"Pleased to meet you, Sir." Said Steph.

"Likewise. But please, call me Luis. I've heard so much about you..." Ranger groaned as his charismatic older self led Steph to a waiting black limo. He could hear the beginnings of a childhood story. His Babe would never look at him the same way again!

After a wonderful lunch, served by Cheena, Ella's counterpart, Steph was shown round the Miami offices that the Limo had driven them to. The building was taller and thinner than the Trenton offices but there were 5 floors dedicated to the running of the operation, including a break room, the offices and meetings rooms, general work areas and the comms room. In addition there were a further three floors for the staff containing flats, the gym and Ranger's penthouse suite. Finally there was a car park, gun range and four holding cells on another two floors. The whole operation was similar in size to back home, but the type of work they did was very different. Although they looked after FTA's and business and residential property there was a greater emphasis on body guarding as well as event and club security.

Luis Manoso ran a very tight ship but in a different way to his son and this became more and more evident as Steph met the men that worked there. Whereas Ranger had a bad ass image that he used to reinforce his dominance, Manoso senior was more wily and enigmatic. Preferring to charm his targets into submission. He was just as ruthless, but his Mo was to smile as he cut his enemy's throat, whereas Ranger just tracked his prey down with cool efficiency and detachment.

Suddenly it was 6 o'clock and Ranger wanted his woman to himself. They'd managed to forget the phone call from yesterday for most of the day but he needed to talk to his father alone before he whisked Steph up to his lair. He suggested she talked to Cheena about her appalling dietary requirements and she wandered off to do just that.

He turned to his father who was currently looking out of the window and across the beach to the sea.

"Papa. What do you think of Steph?"

"I'd say she's got my son sussed out."

"That's not answering my question!"

"She seems too good to be true, but from what Lester and Pierre tell me, she really is that one in a million."

"Papa, you'd make a great politician, just answer the question would you?"

"Actually, I rather like her. She's got a lot of spunk about her. She reminds me of your Mother at that age." A soft grin flitted across his face as he thought about some of the battles he had fought, won and lost with Sophia.

"Papa, I've finally admitted my feelings for her, much to Tank and Les's relief, as I have loved this woman for nearly four years. She's brave, intelligent and has some weird sixth sense that I've never encountered before. She's incredibly loyal and she trusts me totally. When the Ramos thing was going down she stood by me and helped when many of my other so-called friends made themselves scarce." He paused to assess his father's reaction before he continued. "She knows about India and is cool with it. She actually understands my past and doesn't hate me for it. The only thing she's ever wanted my help with is to learn to fly and not clip her wings. Everything else I've done is because I've wanted to. Father, I love my Babe with all my heart and I need you and the rest of the family to love her too which is part of the reason I've asked her to join me down here this weekend."

Luis looked at his son who had been glowing with love and admiration as he talked about Steph. Tank was right, he was totally whipped. But he knew that despite his all-encompassing speech Carlos was holding something back. Why did he need his family to love her too? Please tell me she's not pregnant like Rachel? Dios! Please no! He was broken from his thoughts as Ranger continued.

"I gave her a Grizhert love puzzle. She's only two more layers to go and she's figured each layer out really quickly. But there is one thing I really need you to do for me. Welcome her into the family and love her as I do.

"Pardon?"

"I said welcome her into the family and love her as I do" Ranger repeated, angry at his father for not listening.

"I was listening but I seem to have missed something. Why is it so important that we all love her too? Why might you not be arou..." the penny dropped and his father stopped mid sentence. "Oh no, not another mission! I thought you were done?"

"Last one. And this one looks FUBAR before I even go though the incumbent team are trying to calm things down. It's not looking good for my long term health, Papa. But I would ask that you keep this to yourself, even from Mama."

Moments later Steph returned with Silvio in Tow. "Carlos, look what I found in the break room." She said smiling, pulling a slim bespectacled man behind her.

"Silvio! Great to see you, how's Mia?"

"Fine, Boss. See you finally got the girl" he said laughing as he grabbed Steph and pulled her closer to him, ruffling her hair. She grinned at his playfulness.

"Something like that" Ranger replied, good naturedly, pulling Steph back into his arms. His body language screaming "Mine!" She stood with her back her man and melted into his embrace. They fitted together perfectly as Ranger wrapped himself around her and talked to Silvio absently kissing her hair as the conversation flowed.

Luis looked at the couple and smiled. Yep, Tank was right, his son had finally found his soul mate and the feeling was obviously mutual. It broke his heart that they may only have a short time together and he silently prayed that they would get a real chance at forever. He wondered if she knew about his son's up and coming mission. Something told him she probably did. She raised another notch higher in his estimation.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Fancy a trip out?" Ranger asked as they headed to his apartment not long after. "We could go sample the local food if you'd like?"

"That sounds great!" Steph replied, her stomach seconding that suggestion as he opened the door and led them through the hallway and into the kitchen.

Ranger leaned forward and patted her stomach and grinned. Dios! He was going to miss that sound! His eyes misted over again at the thought of what might soon come to pass.

Steph pushed him up against the work surface, an angry look on her face. "Stop it! Stop it now, Carlos! You're not gone yet and you're still alive!"

He looked stunned at her outburst yet she continued.

"We can either live each day until you leave to the max, enjoying the feeling of being together and all that life brings. Or we can mope and moan and waste what little time we could have left." She jabbed a finger into his shoulder.

"I'm being totally selfish here, but I do not want you stepping off to God knows where knowing that my only memories are of wasted time and sadness. If you so much as sigh until you leave I'll be down on you like a ton of bricks." Before he had a chance to reply she kissed him with such fury that it took a few seconds for him to react but when he did, he did so brutally with rage and anger at the unfairness of life.

He scooped her up dumping her roughly on the cold surface. Her panties were gone, her skirt hooked up to her waist, his trousers round his ankles and he was buried inside her before either of them had a chance to think. Their coupling was frantic, all consuming, primal and they climaxed together in frenzied passion. They clung to each other as their breath calmed down, a faint sheen of sweat coating their bodies. Steph's head rested in the crook of Ranger's neck, his head buried in her curls.

"That's more like it, Carlos" Steph said brusquely when she eventually pulled back so that she could gently kiss his nose. "If necessary we live in Denial Land till you go. I won't have you leave for your mission with any regrets about wasted time."

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, a slight smile threatening to break from his lips. "No matter what happens, I promise that as long as I have breath in my body I'll try to come back to you." He whispered. "Proud of you, Babe" he said as he rested his forehead against hers, drawing on her strength. The next few weeks were going to be tough on both of them and she'd made it plain that life was for living. He would not let her down.

Her stomach voiced its own opinion on the matter and they both laughed as their mood lifted and they gathered up their clothes and headed for the bathroom.


	27. Chapter 27

**Thanks for your comments - I'm really enjoying your rants. Not long now folks, only another 10 chapters or so...**

Half an hour later found them driving along the shores of Miami, moving away from the main tourist areas. "Where are we headed for, Carlos?"

"Wait and see, Amante." Came the soft reply.

Moments later Ranger pulled off the main route and headed down a side road that finally turned into a dirt track. Just ahead of them Steph could make out a sun bleached building that rapidly turned into a small and intimate looking restaurant.

"Here we are" Ranger said as he quickly parked the Ferrari he used when in Miami and hopped out to open Steph's door. He pulled her out of the luxurious cream leather interior and in through the front door. As their eyes adjusted to the softer light he hailed a waiter and asked for a table with a view. Within minutes they were led out the back and seated on a wooden terrace with breathtaking views of the surrounding beaches.

"How did you find out about this place?" Steph sighed contentedly.

Ranger just grinned and passed her a menu as a tall, elegant woman with long dark silky hair glided up to the table. "Carlos! About time! Where have you been?"

Steph watched as Ranger's face split into a big grin. "Celia! I hoped you'd be here tonight. How are the little ones? Where's Alejandro?"

"Not so little and out at the club with Timon" Celia smiled in reply to the questions but their abruptness suggested that she wanted to be introduced.

"Babe, meet my sister Celia. Celia may I introduce my girlfriend, Stephanie."

"At last! I wondered how long it would take my big bad brother to bring you down here. Nice to finally meet you." Steph gave Carlos a quizzical look, he shot a different one back feigning innocence. Celia seemed not to notice and continued "Mama has organised quite a get together for Sunday for the whole family – you'll get to meet pretty much everyone..."

Steph shot Ranger a look of panic "Oh, I've said too much as usual, haven't I?" Celia continued "Ah, shall I go now?" she said grinning as she made an exaggerated gesture with her arms that perhaps she should walk away. At that moment a neatly dress petite woman walked out onto the veranda with Ranger's father.

"Uh oh!" muttered Celia and made to dash off into the kitchens.

"Ah, there you all are!" the new stranger said, smiling sweetly.

"Mama! Sorry didn't see you there..." Celia shot out, rooted to the spot.

Mama? Steph watched the whole thing with horror. She just wanted to spend time with Carlos. What the hell was going on? She had hoped to spend the evening alone not with the whole family...

"Babe..."

"Babe!" Steph suddenly snapped out of her dark thoughts as Carlos squeezed her hand which he'd been holding across the table for the last couple of minutes. "Babe, may I introduce my Mother. Sophia Manoso?" Ranger's Mum gave her the most welcoming of smiles full of acceptance and understanding and Steph relaxed, realising she really had nothing to fear from this elegant pint-sized woman.

The rest of the evening went in a blur. Apparently it had been a coincidence that Ranger's parents had decided to go Mojito Mama's for a meal that night. Luis had suspected his son would take Steph there at some point over the weekend but when Sophia had suggested they visit Celia's restaurant that evening he hadn't wanted to disappoint her just on the off-chance that Ranger decided to be there.

Over the course of the evening Ranger's family tree was explained. Celia was married to Alejandro and they owned both Mojito Mama's and an exclusive club called Scuba based at one of the local Marinas. Select locals rubbed shoulders with the uber rich and famous on its two dance floors and in its three main bars.

Timon was Ranger's other brother and was 27.

There were three other sisters, Yelina, Dayami and Maria. They were 34, 32 and 27 respectively. Maria and Timon were twins. Only Celia at 36 had settled down and got married and she and Alejandro had two children. Marcus 7 and Lily 5.

Yelina was a lawyer and engaged to Marius and Dayami was a trainee architect with one year to go. Until her studies were finished she'd sworn off men. The twins were being groomed to take over Manoso's senior's empire when he retired. Steph had given Ranger a knowing look when the family setup was explained. Ranger just smiled his 200 watt smile and said "Babe..."

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Thanks" said Steph on the way home.

"For?" said Ranger, nervously.

"For giving me the opportunity to see you with just your sister, Mum and Dad. To see you being someone's son and brother. I had a really lovely evening. Despite my initial reaction" she added, chuckling.

"Only you Babe" he replied, flashing a 200 watt grin at her. "At least you have had a gentle start to meeting my family. Sunday will be a lot more full on. Abuela Rosa and Tio Angelo..."

Steph shot him a Burg glare. Ranger laughed and stopped talking.

They reached the offices and slipped past the still moving gates and into the car park where Ranger pulled into his space and turned off the engine.

"Babe, we don't have to do this. Sunday I mean."

"Yes. Yes we do Carlos." Steph replied taking his face in her hands and running her thumbs over his jaw line. "I want to meet the people who have helped to shape the man I love." She leaned in for a long and gentle kiss and when she eventually pulled back she could see the love in his eyes.

"I love you, Babe" he whispered.

"I love you too, Carlos" she whispered back.

He took her upstairs and they showed each other just how much until they fell asleep, sated, in each other's arms.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Babe, I need to go down to the Control Room for about an hour before we head out for the day, so take your time."

"K" came the muffled and water logged reply. Ranger grinned and slipped his black Havianas on then wandered off to find his father and his own version of the Trenton A-team. He smiled as he imagined their reaction to his pink shorts and fully intended to explain parts of the evening where he first met them.

If it wasn't for his impending doom he'd be the happiest man on the planet right now.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph came to under the powerful shower heads.

A few minutes later she stepped out of the steamy bathroom wrapped in a towel and padded over to her handbag. She'd shoved the love puzzle inside. She really needed to know what it contained and had been racking her brains as to what this current layer was and how to crack it. She put it on the bed and got dressed quickly in nude panties and bra, a pale turquoise and gold strapless knee length sundress and leather flipflops then picked it up again.

The texture felt so familiar but she couldn't work out what it was. Ten minutes later she was starting to get really frustrated with it, after all she'd been trying to unravel this mystery for far too long and she knew she was running out of time. God knows how many more layers there were to it. There could be several more and what if she didn't open it before Carlos left? She had no idea what was inside. It might just have a naff and tacky souvenir, but knowing Carlos this was not the case and the not knowing was killing her.

Tears filled her eyes and she allowed herself a five minute pity party before she returned to the task in hand. The more she looked at it, the more cross she was becoming so she hurled it at the wall in frustration where it hit with several tiny popping sounds.

Popping sounds? That was it!

She hopped off the bed and scooped it up, looking more closely at it.

Eureka!

It was made of bubble wrap but the reason she hadn't worked it out was because the bubbles were miniscule. She popped a few more and felt the layer become looser in her hands. She kept going until she could feel it becoming flaccid. Wandering into the kitchen she found a knife and managed to slide the end of the blade into the loose membrane. She cut it off to reveal another layer underneath but before she had a chance to really look at it she heard footsteps in the hallway.

"Proud of you Babe" he said as Ranger pulled her into his arms for a bone melting kiss.


	28. Chapter 28

They spent the day enjoying the sunshine, on Ranger's motor yacht.

Yep, Ranger had a yacht, moored at his father's marina.

Yep, the marina where Scuba was located.

The yacht was big and white and bright on the outside and dark and cocoonlike on the inside. The blue of the cushions and curtains was the same colour as Steph's eyes and went beautifully with the gold and cream of the internal decor All contrasting well with the dark wood panelling. It had three bedrooms. Steph knew because they christened the master bed and carried on exploring each other as they roamed around the rest of the boat.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Mother? Everything OK?"

"Fine son" came the amused reply.

"It's just that you don't tend to call me, I'm the one that calls you."

"True, but I know how busy your new job is and thought I'd better be the one to pick up the phone – that way I'll get to speak to you. So, how's things?"

"Really busy, flat out with my job. I've now got all my staff in place and things are starting to get organised. Bit like the scum we hoover up."

"Great."

"Ok. What did you really call for?"

"Can't a mother phone her son?"

"No! You're not that kind of mother. Don't tell me the Burg has no gossip at the moment..."

"You wound me..."

"Spit it out" he returned, smiling and running his hands through his hair as he sat down on the sofa.

"Ok, ok. I've been speaking to Steph and I think she really needs to see you. After you left the other day she sat down with Manoso and had a long chat. Seems she didn't like what she saw about herself. Seems she thinks she needs to put things right between the two of you. Seems she thinks that she as much to blame for you and Aly's little tryst as you are. Seems she'd like her friend back."

Silence

"Give her a chance to be your friend, Joe. You've so much history and she still cares deeply for you. You'll never have her love again, but I think you should hear her out."

"I'll think about it." He said, blandly.

"Good! Oh, by the way, I found out from Mrs Henderson that Bethany moved up to New York about a year ago. Seems she's having a lovely time. Perhaps you should meet up again. She's probably got a good network of friends by now."

"Mum! The last time we met up I shoved ice down her vest top and she bit me so hard she left brace as well as teeth marks on my arm."

"People change, Son, people change."

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Are you sure, Carlos?" Steph yelled as Ranger strapped her in front of him in the harness.

"Positive!" he screamed back, hugging her loosely to him, well as closely as their life jackets would allow.

He kissed the top of her head "You've always wanted to fly, Babe so here goes" he yelled as he waived to the captain of the "Bombshell".

Yep, Ranger's boat was called Bombshell.

Steph let out a loud squeal as they shot off the back of the boat and into the air, the parachute pulling them up into the sky.

"Wow!" said Steph, as they left the noise of the engines and water behind. The only sounds around them being distant laughter and the flapping of their strappings in the wind.

"Great, isn't it?" Carlos said as he hugged her against him, pulling cords to move them in different directions.

They could see for ever across the white sands of Miami. The marina they'd left five minutes ago laid out clearly below.

"So this is what a bird sees." Steph yelled in wonder.

"Pretty much" came the reply.

"Wheeeeeeeeeeee!" Steph screamed out laughing. This pretty much set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.

o0o0o0o0o0o

After a long and athletic shower Ranger pulled Steph down onto the bed and tickled her mercilessly before kissing her senseless. The mood changed from light hearted to slow and sensual as Carlos deepened the kiss. He slowly caressed her thigh with one hand whilst bracing himself on his forearm above her with the other. He pulled back slightly and she looked up at him with adoration and trust his own eyes mirroring hers. He tapped her nose gently "don't go anywhere, be right back" he quipped as he sprung up off the bed "wasn't planning to" she replied, putting her hands lazily behind her head.

He disappeared out of the door, wrapping a towel round his torso as he went. His fine arse moved quickly out of sight. Steph sighed contentedly and closed her eyes. What new 'horizon expanding activity' did he have in mind she wondered, smiling as she recounted that afternoon's activity. She knew it was probably the nearest thing she would ever get to flying and it had been wonderful. Bit like her man, she thought. 'Her man'. Where had that come from? Who cares, it sounded perfect anyway.

"Keep you eyes closed, Querida" Ranger whispered in her ear.

"Carlos! Make some noise will you?" Steph grumbled out as she almost jumped off the bed.

She knew he was laughing at her but couldn't see where he was to glare at him as he'd tied a soft pale pink scarf round her head, covering her eyes. "Trust me, please" he whispered. Steph nodded her head in consent and gulped loudly.

She felt cold metal circulate her right wrist, shutting gently and very loosely, Ranger kissed and nibbled the skin next to it. Steph's breath caught in her throat at what that had just happened. "Breathe, Babe, breathe" Ranger whispered as he attached the other end of the cuffs to the headboard, pulling her arm slightly up and across the bed. The other wrist was similarly ensnared and pulled gently in the opposite direction.

"Neither cuff is tight so you can slip your hand out at any time." Ranger said gently by way of an explanation. "If you aren't comfortable with anything I do, just say and I'll stop" he murmured, kissing his way across her collar bone. Steph squirmed at the sensations Carlos was creating with his soft warm breath, his kisses and her confinement.

She felt something cold being drizzled onto her now burning skin, she moaned at the sensations Carlos was creating. "I love cream with my dessert" he whispered between kisses.

He spent several tortuous minutes dripping and drizzling a pattern across her body. Down her neck, between and over her nipples and breasts, towards her belly button and finally stopping just above her glistening curls.

"So wet, my love" he whispered as he bent down and sniffed her mound, rubbing his nose through her hair.

"Ohhhh." Steph managed to say, eloquently. Every fibre of her body totally attuned to the liquid that had burned her with its promises. Carlos licked, nibbled and suckled his way over the trail that he had made, Steph's whole body responding to his every ministration. She'd never been so hot and cold at the same time. The sensation was mind blowing and she suspected he hadn't even warmed up yet.

He could feel her winding up like a tightly coiled spring and it made his already engorged dick harder and more painful. This whole evening was to be about her though, he thought as he finished 'cleaning' up the mess he had made. He took the cream and began to decorate the lower half of her beautiful body.

Steph hissed with frustration as he moved up the front of her legs in a criss cross pattern. He knew the sheets would be too messy to sleep in later, but the crew would change them whilst they were out dancing so he moved agonisingly slowly, letting the liquid spill off the sides of her limbs.

"Please" Steph hissed.

"Shhh."

"Ohhh, I need to cum, please."

"Shhh, just enjoy."

He bit her gently on her inner thigh and she bucked in response as he let the liquid pour down her mound and into her soft folds before dribbling on down towards the bed.

"Ahhhhhh" she sighed, her breath coming in pants as she opened her legs slightly.

Ranger sat to one side of her to admire the view in front of him for a few moments. His woman, totally dominated, totally tortured and loving every minute of it. He trailed kisses and began to lick her clean again.

".god. Ahhh, Carlos, please..."

He smiled "soon, soon enough, Babe" as he finished cleaning up her legs nibbling on the sensitive skin at the top of her inner thigh. He blew over her lips which glistened from the cream he'd poured onto her and her own arousal. The mixture of the two was too heady and Carlos needed to drink them both in. He pushed her legs apart gently as he settled between her thighs and dipped his head and began to drink from her soft folds. She came almost immediately, screaming his name hoarsely as she convulsed beneath him. He hadn't even touched her clit.

"Naughty, naughty girl" he said, slapping her bottom gently, kissing her skin after each pat. He gave her a few more slaps each being slightly less gentle than its predecessor and he waited to guage her reaction but as he didn't get a negative one he continued a little while longer, kissing away any stinging immediately after each swat.

"You really are a very naughty girl" he repeated as he slid one of his hands between her legs and sunk two fingers into her moist depths, caressing her g-spot. He could feel her begin to tighten round him and his dick ached to be allowed to go home. Down boy! He thought. This weekend was about expanding Steph's horizons, teaching her about him through thought and word and deed. He needed her to know everything about him. This weekend was a crash course in doing just that.

He flicked her clit with his tongue and she started to climax again, he could feel her tightening around his fingers as the sensation hit her. As she writhed around him he could feel his own orgasm building so shifted slightly to stop himself losing focus.

"That's it, cum for me, Amante" he whispered as he suckled on her sensitive nub and pounded his fingers in and out of her. She went over the edge and he continued to stroke her g-spot as she rode out the orgasm. He felt her go limp as she blacked out momentarily. It hit him that she experienced a petit mort orgasm and he grinned smugly to himself.

"Babe" he whispered reverently. He moved slightly on the bed to accommodate her and pressed his cock into the bed, brushing past her velvet skin as he did so. He came immediately, much to his own surprise, injecting his own semen deep into the bed linen. He'd never been unaware of his surroundings before let alone his body! What a woman that he hadn't even realised his own physical wants whilst with her! Wow!

"With my dying breath I will honour you." He whispered as he scooped her up in his arms away from the mess, removed her restraints and blindfold and waited for her to come to.

o0o0o0o0o0o

The club was in full swing when Ranger and Steph arrived a few hours later. They walked past the waiting queue and were waived straight in, much to the disgust of many of those waiting patiently in line, including several d-list celebrities. They followed the heavy beat of the pulsing music past the cloakrooms and into the club and immediately became infused with its intoxicating rhythm.

Carlos held Steph close to protect her from the writhing bodies that threatened to engulf them both. He spotted his brother-in-law Alejandro who motioned them to follow him through a door into the VIP area which was quieter and less crowded. They saw a handful of celebrities dotted round the room, locked in conversations with minders, friends and lovers. He installed them at a small table, and removed the reserved sign that had been put there. A bottle of expensive looking champagne glistening with droplets of water and three glasses were brought to the table.

Ranger looked at Alejandro quizzically then at the label - Krug, Clos du Mesnil 1995. Alejandro bent over and whispered something in his ear to which Carlos frowned and nodded. Steph watched them both cautiously and lent forward to pick up the tall glass she was being offered by her lover. Alejandro raised a silent toast to them both, took a large slug of his drink and stood and left nodding again at Ranger.

"What was that all about?" Steph asked.

"Seems my father can't keep a secret" he replied blackly.

"?"

"I told him about my mission and it looks as if he's told Alejandro."

"Why? What? Who else?"

"Because he's worried about us. That I might not make it back. No-one else" Ranger spat out.

"Ok, so that's the worst of his conversation, but why the champagne?"

"Seems like he knows me too well. I have two bottles of this one at home. It's the most expensive champagne in the world. I have it saved for two special occasions, to celebrate my marriage and first born." Ranger said, shaking his head.

"?"

"Stephanie Michelle Plum would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" he whispered, settling on one knee in front of her, his head down stroking the hand he was holding.

She pulled his face up with her fingers to see two big tears sliding down his cheeks "thought you'd never ask" she replied as she leaned forward and kissed him.

"I'll take that as a yes, then" he smirked as he reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a ring box. Holding it up and opening it she could see it was empty.

She looked at him, confused.

"I want you to design one" he explained "but in the mean time I thought this would do" he pulled a ring out of his other pocket and slid it onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. Of course.

It was made of three heavy gold bands fused together at the back. Each had three diamonds in a random position along it. Some nestled against another, the biggest of them all on its own in the middle. Ranger had thought of everything and the stones were placed down into the bands in a rub over setting so that they did not sit proud and would not catch on anything. It sparkled even in the dim lights.

Steph looked back at Carlos, now her fiancé. Tears in her eyes too. He registered that the room was now silent and thought that if its occupants wanted a show he would damn well give them one.

"Mine" he growled as he crashed his lips down onto hers.

The evening went by in a blur. They drank the champagne, danced with abandon, were showered with good luck wishes from those who'd seen him propose and communicated their love silently with caresses and kisses the whole night through.

They'd just finished a particularly energetic salsa when the DJ announced that the next song, which was the last one of the evening was to be dedicated to two people who'd just pledged their lives to each other.

Ranger made to pull Steph off the floor when Alejandro grabbed their free hands and tugged them back to the middle where a small ring of people hemmed them in. They gave in gracefully and danced to "You'll never walk alone" by the Righteous Brothers:

When you walk through a storm  
Hold your head up high  
And don't be afraid of the dark

At the end of the storm  
Is a golden sky  
And the sweet silver song of the lark

Walk on through the wind  
Walk on through the rain  
Though your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on walk on with hope in your heart  
And you'll never walk alone  
You'll never walk alone

When you walk through a storm  
Hold your head up high  
And don't be afraid of the dark

At the end of the storm  
Is a golden sky  
And the sweet silver song of the lark

Walk on through the wind  
Walk on through the rain  
Though your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on walk on with hope in your heart  
And you'll never walk alone  
You'll never walk

You'll never walk  
You'll never walk alone.

"I'll kill him" Ranger breathed into her ear.

She laughed "no, no you won't Carlos, just enjoy this feeling of utter acceptance and love"

"Proud of you, babe" he whispered as he leant into her hair and kissed it, inhaling her essence and storing it up for the storm to come.

**The ring I was trying to describe is based on one on the Boodles website and it's called the Raindance ring. Go to their website for a look, it really is beautiful. .com **


	29. Chapter 29

Sunday dawned bright and early, clear blue skies and screaming seagulls. Ranger and Steph saw none of it as the swell of the ocean rocked them in slumber.

oo0o0o0o0o

Celia had joined them on the dance floor just as the song was finishing and the four of them did a group hug. Steph had never felt more loved and accepted.

Armed with another bottle of champagne they'd staggered down to the Bombshell and celebrated well into the early hours - Steph had even been persuaded to do some skinny dipping. Celia and Alejandro left as the sun was rising, begging that they be allowed to tell Sophia and Luis the news. Ranger had pulled out his most impressive stare which sent everyone into hysterics and he joined them once he realised he was being teased. He did playfully 'slap' Alejandro on the arm leaving a red mark though...

oo0o0o0o0o

Steph opened a bloodshot eye, blinked in the harsh daylight and hastily shut it again. A few seconds later she tried again – she really needed to answer the call of nature – this time the shock was not so great so she sat up and immediately regretted her sudden movement as the workmen in her head started their machinery. She let out a loud groan and gingerly sidled in the direction of the bathroom. She glanced at Ranger and smirked, he was lying tangled in the sheets looking slightly green round the edges. Wey hey! She thought as she stepped back into the room once more and grabbed her phone off the dressing table to take a quick photo.

"Babe, I'll throw your phone over board with you still attached to it if you send that to anyone" Ranger growled out as he turned over to look at her. He was all mussed from sleep and even with his unhealthy colour scheme was still a delicious sight. Steph licked her lips and slid back under the covers. She kissed his hair, revelling in its silkiness and moved it out of the way so that she could lick the shell of his ear. She felt him still under him and suddenly he was gone in the direction she'd just come back from. She laughed out loud as she heard the sound of him retching. Another horizon expanding moment she thought.

She climbed out of bed and trooped into the bathroom. Bits of the evening were coming back to her, the proposal, the erotic dancing, the drinking, the skinny dipping – eh? Had she really gone skinny dipping? She blushed at the thought.

She reached into the cupboard and found a flannel which she dampened with water and used to wipe her fiancé down. Her fiancé! As she smoothed his now sweating back the huge diamonds from her ring caught the sunlight and splashed vast rainbows of colour round the small space. She grinned to herself as she looked down at Carlos, rinsed the cloth out and returned it to his forehead, she felt him sigh as the coolness calmed his raging stomach. She kissed the back of his neck "I love you so much, even now!" she said giggling. He muttered something incomprehensible in reply which made her giggle even more.

oo0o0o0o0o

"What time did you say they'd be here?" Sophia asked Luis. They were sat on a spacious dark wood covered verandah nursing iced teas. He was stretched out on a dark rattan couch, she lounged opposite him on a large matching recliner, ankles crossed.

"About three. Seems like they might have had a heavy night looking at Alejandro." He replied grinning and plopping his newspaper down on the matching coffee table. He looked poolside to where Celia and her husband were hiding under massive red umbrellas. Neither of them looked to have any bones in their bodies. Whatever they'd been doing last night had left them exhausted.

Luis shifted his attention to the noise coming from further over in the garden, where Marcus and Lily were being occupied by Joseph and Marguerite Sautelle the 'hired help' who were busy chasing them round the palm trees. What were the staff for anyway he thought lazily? They were there to put up with his annoyingly energetic grandchildren who they treated as their own.

He grinned. 'Hired help!' if Sophia heard him call the two of them that he'd be sleeping in the summer house! Granted, they'd worked for the Manoso's for over thirty years but in that time they'd become the best of friends. Hey, he'd even been best man at their wedding!

Perhaps it was time to rescue Joseph and his wife, after all Joseph's team still had things to do to get the garden ready for the afternoon's fun and games. Sophia still needed to get the food finished and Marguerite _was_ her second in command when all was said and done.

He wandered away from the house and redirected his grandchildren towards the pool with strict instructions not to drown.

As he reached Alejandro's lounger he kicked it threatening to throw him in with the kids if he didn't shift himself and make himself useful. He received a grunt in reply. Grinning evilly, Luis beckoned to Joseph who wandered over, grabbing Alejandro's feet as Luis grabbed his arms and they swung him into the pool. Luis watched his son-in-law disappear under the water, dusted his hands off and walked off with Joseph, smirking and discussing their plans for that afternoon's party, leaving a now spluttering Alejandro being attacked by his two kids.

oo0o0o0o0o

At four minutes to three Carlos and Steph turned in through the gates of the Manoso residence. The metal work of the huge gate swung effortlessly and silently behind them. Steph sucked in some air as she looked up the long drive towards her future parent-in-law's house. House! House? More like mansion! Steph groaned loudly. What would they make of her own family in their little three up two down semi? Ranger, seeing her reaction leaned over and took her hand, squeezing it to give her reassurance.

The Manoso property was an L-shaped pale blue plantation style property built over two floors. The short side of the 'L' was made up of 3 double garages whilst a bright white veranda ran the entire length of the longer part and continued to wrap round towards the back.

Ranger joined the line of cars already parked up, got out and went round to Steph's side to pull his reluctant fiancée out of the car. "It'll be OK, Babe. They're the same people as you met on Friday, they haven't changed, I promise" She looked to him for courage, pushed her shoulders back and replied "OK, let's go meet the rest of your family."

He gave her a quick kiss and gently pulled her towards the front door.

"They're here everybody!" Celia yelled as she led Ranger and Steph through the large bright kitchen and out onto the veranda where a sea of faces turned to look. Ranger gave Steph's hand a quick squeeze as they stood slightly apart from the rest of the crowd.

"Hi everyone, thanks for coming, I'd like you to meet Steph. My fiancée." The crowd erupted and the couple were pulled in for questioning.

o0o0o0o0o0o

The afternoon went in a blur. Outside caterers had cooked the most amazing full hog roast together with b-b-q'd fillet steak, tiger prawns, red snapper and beef burgers. There were several different salads from a plain green with rocket and iceburg lettuce to complicated pasta dishes with loads of ranch style dressings. Desserts included chocolate mousse, profiteroles and fruit salad.

Carlos ate from the healthy end of the table and Steph did not, but each agreed to eat something off each other's plates so Steph tried the prawns and Ranger was force fed a profiterole, complete with alcoholic chocolate sauce.

As Steph, (who had visibly relaxed after the initial onslaught following their arrival) stood stifling a giggle, Carlos reluctantly chewed on the choux pastry sweet meat he'd been given. A small lady walked over with purpose in her stride and as she got closer she could see what Steph was laughing at so as she reached them both she slapped Carlos upside his head.

"Abuela!" he spluttered out looking both shocked and embarrassed at the same time.

"Pretend you're enjoying the feast your mother put out for you!" she had a stern look on her face but turned and winked at Steph as she continued her tirade "you need to eat more normal food. Twigs and bark will not maintain you now that you are starting a family."

"!"

"You must be! You are so old! Why else would you be settling down? Eh? Answer me, my boy!" Carlos stood in silence which made Steph giggle even more, her curls bouncing in delight at the sight before her.

Carlos' grandmother turned to her "hello, my dear. I'm Carlos' worst nightmare – Abuela Rosa." And with that she put an arm round Steph and led her away. Ranger groaned in despair.

"Knew you'd lose, bro!" whispered Maria smugly as she wrapped herself round the back of her elder brother. The pair of them watched as Abuela Rosa sat down with Steph at her side, deep in conversation. "I just hope she's still my fiancée when they've done talking."

"Nah, not a chance! She's bound to tell her about your teddy bear..."

"Done that myself." Ranger butted in happily.

"Bet she'll tell her about the game of strip pool you played with Chad Bennett..."

"How was I to know he fancied me?" Ranger said, turning to face his sister. She raised an eyebrow and smirked before giving him a big squeeze and letting go.

"She's lovely you know."

"?"

"Steph. She's really funny and bright. I can see why you fell for her. Just helps that she looks as if she'd be at home on a catwalk."

Ranger sighed. "I can't believe it took us so long to hook up and we've already wasted too much time." He replied, blankly.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Maria prodded.

"My time's nearly up and I'll be leaving her to face life without me." He sighed deeply. For some reason he'd always been able to confide in his baby sister. So he did, all of it, from the time they'd first met to the phone call of two days ago.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"You're not mad are you?" said Steph as they loaded themselves back into the Porsche later on that evening.

"No. Why?"

"I just thought that you'd be upset at the stories your Abuela Rosa told me."

"I knew she'd dish the dirt. As she told you, she's my worst nightmare..."

"In the same way Grandma Mazur is mine?"

"Not quite. Abuela isn't a sex starved maniac. Not that Edna is" he added quickly, glancing over.

Steph laughed "

"Don't worry, I'm not going to disagree about my Grandma. So, did you really..."

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Weren't we supposed to home today?" Steph asked sleepily as they pulled up to the marina.

"Yeah, but there's something I want to do tomorrow. Steph, how would you feel if we got married before I left on this mission?"

Steph looked at him in surprise.

"No, even I can't throw money at things and make them happen that quickly." He said laughing gently.

God, she was going to miss that laugh... Focus Steph.

"... so I thought we could go look at commissioning your real engagement ring and our wedding rings. What do you think?"


	30. Chapter 30

**Thank you for your fab comments. Glad to see I've got you wondering and hoping. Ranger has asked me to tell you that he'll do his best to get back to Steph. Oh, by the way, more smut I'm afraid (I'm getting the hang of writing this stuff now) but it's all in a good cause, honest...**

"Mum?"

"Stephanie?"

"Mum, I'm going to be back on late Monday. Something cropped up."

"Are you OK? Is everything alright?"

Steph could picture her Mum setting up the ironing board.

"It's OK, Mum. It's just that Carlos proposed to me on Saturday night and wants to go see a friend of the family to commission our rings."

"He did what? FRANK! FRANK! STEPHANIE'S GETTING MARRIED! OMIGOD!"

Steph could hear some scuffling.

"Pumpkin? Great! You'll have a great life together. I did wonder whether you'd have some news for us when you got back ..."

Steph could hear her mother hyperventilating in the back ground.

"Pardon, you knew? Daddy?"

"Yeah. He came by on Thursday to ask me for your hand, so I guessed he might have a plan for the weekend."

"Daddy..."

"Don't worry, we agreed to the deal over a cigar in the shed. I'm pleased for you both..."

Steph could hear some more scuffling and a new voice "Grand Baby? Does that mean you seen his package..." more scuffling.

"Mother!" her mother shouted away from the phone. "Sorry sweetheart, tell us all about it when you get back. I'm so pleased for you. Safe journey."

"No worries!" Steph said chuckling at the chaos her phone call had obviously created. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye, Love."

"Bye. Oh and Mum?"

"?"

"love you."

"I love you too, Steph... I love you too."

Steph put the phone down, shaking with mirth.

"So, the Burg will know all about us in 5 minutes."

"Crap! I didn't think to ask them to keep a lid on this news." Said Steph nervously as she bit her bottom lip. She looked up with a worried look on her face.

"Don't worry, Babe. Give your Mum her moment of glory. We'll face the music soon enough." He grinned, running his hands through his long silken hair. He slid an arm round her and moulded his body against hers, taking in her aroma as he lowered his mouth to join them in a kiss. The boat moved with more than the gentle swell of the ocean that night.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"So, how long will it take to make up the rings?"

"Normally 8 weeks, but for you, Carlos, I could do it in five."

"Three?"

"Four."

"Three and a half?"

"Done."

"So, Babe, all sorted. Do you fancy getting married three days before I leave?"

"You're on!" she said, leaning in for a quick kiss.

They'd commissioned Welsh gold matching wedding bands with small diamonds punched in at regular intervals all the way round. Steph's was shaped so that the engagement ring, which contained a perfect 2ct Ceylon sapphire and two flawless 1ct diamonds, would settle neatly against it. As with the ring she was wearing the stones were inset so that it would be more practical.

They'd also wanted to incorporate a piece of each other's jewellery so Steph had given up the earrings she'd been wearing which had been an 18th birthday present from her parents and Carlos had offered a signet ring which had been an 21st present. The sentimental jewellery would be melted down and used within the three rings to signify what they meant to each other.

The time needed was due to getting hold of the Welsh gold.

"Say 'hi' to your parents, Carlos."

"Will do."

They left the jewellers and blinked in the bright light of the midday sun as they stepped onto the pavement.

"Fancy celebrating?" Steph asked, grazing his ear with her tongue.

"What did you have in mind" he asked, turning his face to kiss her nose.

"Well, you've been very goooood to me this weekend. I thought I'd return the favour." She gazed up at him with a siren's look.

Carlos grabbed her hand and almost dragged her off her feet in his haste to get back to the car. Steph ran along behind him, giggling at his eagerness.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Do you trust me, Carlos?" she said softly as they parked in the marina.

"?"

"Will you trust me as I trusted you on Saturday?"

"Babe..." he replied at the penny dropped. She wanted to restrain him!

"Please." She whispered.

o0o0o0o0o0o

He lay down on the bed and stretched out, putting his hands behind his head and watching her as she moved round the room, gathering things as she went. He could imagine several things she might do with the tights, but the hairbrush, hmm. He raised an eyebrow in amusement. She had really been expanding her horizons, either that or he'd unleashed a beast. He chuckled to himself as she realised he was watching her. She blushed and turned to give him a Burg glare.

"If you're going to laugh at me, we'll just forget it, shall we?" she said, huffily.

"Babe. You never disappoint. I was just trying to work out whether this is a new idea or one that you've wanted to do for a while but didn't have the nerve to try out."

She could see the logic he was applying to the situation. "I'll take the fifth on that one..."

"So, I'm the first then, eh?" Damned ESP she thought gruffly. She finished gathering her 'tools' and wandered back to the bed.

"OK, then, strip off, Cuban Sex God. Prepare to be worshipped." She said, dangling some handcuffs from her fingers.

Carlos stripped off his pink board shorts and ripped open his white linen shirt, the buttons skittering all over the hard floor. Steph chuckled at his obvious enthusiasm. "Down, boy" she giggled as she tethered him to the headboard with her cuffs, slipping some socks between the metal and his wrists – she knew he would probably fight them and didn't want him to get hurt.

"Only you, Babe" he chuckled as she finished up.

She kept her own clothes on, figuring it would add to his sensations. "I'm not going to cover your eyes, I want you to watch all that is going on." She whispered in his ear as she bit gently on his lobe. She heard him miss a breath and gave him a knowing look as she started to move round his body.

She followed her mouth with the tights, brushing over his torso gently with her lips, the sheer fabric of the stockings searing his over sensitive skin. "MMMMmmmm" he groaned, his cock jumping with anticipation. He tried to grind his hips into her but she lifted above him so all he could touch was the fabric of her shirt. The sensation was amazing and he closed his eyes, sighing. "Open your eyes, Manoso" she purred and moved away to look at her man. He fell back onto the sheets groaning with frustration.

"That's better, now where was I?" She teased him for several more minutes before he ground out "Dios, Babe, what you do to me!"

She licked round his belly button and dipped into it with her tongue. She could feel his pecs tense so she outlined them with the tip of her finger nail. His eyes followed her every move and he swallowed hard as she moved her hand further south to stroke his dark curls. She reached over to the edge of the bed where she'd left her pile of stuff and rummaged through it before holding up a deep red lip gloss. Grinning, she leaned up and wrote something round his left nipple with the wand. He couldn't see what she'd written so gave her a questioning look. She reached over again and picked up a hand mirror and held it up. In perfect back to front writing she'd written "eat me". She leaned sighing "Oh, if I have to." Ranger groaned as she took his hardened nib in his mouth, nibbling and suckling in equal measure.

She carried on writing, nibbling and kissing her way down his chest, across his hips and down one leg. Ranger was starting to tense up and she hadn't even reached his promised land. "Perhaps I do have all the power" she whispered as she kissed his engorged head. Ranger stared at her intensely though his long lashes. "Like what you see, Carlos?" she said as she blew over his tip, making his cock twitch again. She leant over to her pile again and pulled out some massage oil.

"Massage oil?" Ranger breathed out, plopping back onto the pillow and staring up at the ceiling. He knew he wasn't about to get his Steph induced orgasm any time soon.

"Yup, thought it might come in handy" she quipped as she poured it into her hands to warm it up before applying it to the skin at the base of his erection. She attended to his inner thighs, pelvis and perineum for several minutes, flicking, nibbling, caressing and teasing him until her was going out of his mind.

"Please Babe, I need to cum." Ranger groaned out, his eyes as dark as night.

Steph could see he was close, what was it that slowed a man down? Ah yes! She reached over for a hair elastic, doubled it up and slid the loops down over Ranger's cock.

"?"

"Necessity is the mother of invention" she replied. Ranger realised what she was doing.

"If you really do intend to make me go insane, loop it under my balls." He gritted out. She stretched it slightly and was able to oblige, Ranger groaned "Aaaaaah" as she settled it into place. "Yum" she whispered as she looked at him for a few moments, admiring how it made him stand proud. Then she took him into her mouth and began to suck him like a lollipop. Ranger muttered something in Spanish as he tried to keep his control, veins bulged in his neck and sweat laced his brow. He pulled on the cuffs cursing his inability to move.

"Enough, Babe, please!" he whimpered.

How could she refuse this man anything she thought as she nipped his head making him jump beneath her "Dios!" he cried out.

Steph couldn't stop herself any longer, she was as desperate as he was so stood up and whipped off her clothes. She straddled him but instead of settling on his cock she slithered up his body until he could suckle her breasts and began to tease him by sliding up and down the outside of his shaft, her clit rubbing against his velvet skin as she coated them both in her juices. He nipped her pebbled nipple with his teeth and the sting mingled with the other sensations. It wasn't long before they had both almost reached the point of no return.

Steph pulled herself up and impaled herself on him. Ranger gasped as she slid down his length and ground herself on his pubic bone. She waited until he'd calmed slightly then started moving again, Carlos had gone still when she'd rubbed herself over him but he took this as a hint and began to move in rhythm with her. They sped up as their passion took over and they raced towards their peak, their movements becoming more and more frantic. As they both orgasmed, within seconds of each other, they called out each other's names along with those of the Gods above.

Sated, they lay in each other's arms once Steph had removed the handcuffs. Carlos had red marks on his wrists, despite the padding, but laughed as Steph blushed while she studied them.

"So, Carlos, was that better or worse than the last time you were restrained."

"Babe, the only times I've ever been restrained before were not for pleasure..."

"You mean..."

"Yeah, you've just expanded my horizon! I've never trusted anyone to do that to me before..."

They lay silently entangled for the rest of the afternoon enjoying the closeness until a small knock at the door reminded them they had a plane to catch.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Tank met them at the airport with Lula in tow. She grabbed Steph's left hand and screamed as she looked at the huge rocks that sparkled there.

"Wait till you see the proper one!" Steph managed to choke out as she was enveloped by her biggest best friend. Tank gave Ranger a huge smile and they did the manly back slapping hug thing.

"At last!" he said as he helped Ranger carry the luggage to the back of the black, shiny, new SUV parked next to the hangar. Ranger just grinned.

Tank had never seen him look so happy and he felt all warm and mushy inside, the same way he did when he held his baby in his arms. Perhaps he should step up to the plate and make an honest woman of Lula too. Perhaps tonight. It had been on the cards for a while now, well as far as he was concerned anyway. This time he might even remember the proposal. Weird that he couldn't remember the last one. Hmmm

"So, you up for it?" Ranger asked, pulling his mind back to reality.

"Sorry, miles away, what did you say?" Ranger gave him a funny look and repeated his question. "Want to be my best man? We've set the date. Three and a half weeks from today."

"But that's a Thursday..."

"Actually, we'll be tying the knot on the Friday. Want in?"

"I'd be proud to stand up for you, man." He looked at him conspiratorially. "Want to make it a joint wedding" he muttered quietly so that only Ranger heard.

"I'll check with Steph, does Lula know?"

"She will do tonight, Steph permitting..."


	31. Chapter 31

**Thank you so much for your words of encouragement - I love getting your reviews. I try not to be a review slut but your feedback makes writing this story really worth while. :) Please keep making me happy!**

Steph stood in Tank's office, listening to the man that was going to marry Lula. He'd proposed the previous evening after dropping Steph and Ranger back at Haywood and she'd said yes. Lula had whipped out the ring that she'd used last time but Tank had other ideas. This time they were going to choose a ring _together_.

Ranger had mentioned to Steph that Tank had suggested a joint wedding and after some initial reservations she'd agreed. As long as it was private and limited to immediate family only. Lula and Tank didn't have much family to speak of so that cut things down a bit. It looked like there would be just over 30 people at the wedding which suited everyone perfectly.

"So, Steph, we'll start your gym training in the morning. We'll be assessing you to see whether you have any muscles at all in that body of yours. Did you sort out the running shoe problem?"

Steph blushed. What with one thing and another she'd completely forgotten to go shoe shopping. Helloooo – shoe shopping her favourite social past time. How could she forget! "Sorry, Tank, I forgot." She mumbled, blushing.

"Hmm." He said looking sternly at her. She felt about 12 years.

"After that" he continued "you'll start gun training with Hippy, our latest sniper specialist. That will be at 3.00." He reached into his desk and pulled out a file, sifting through he selected a piece of paper. Here's your itinerary for the rest of the week, together with a check list of all the equipment we will supply you if you don't already have it. Please check it all over and let Ella know your clothes sizes.

"The rest of this morning will be spent getting your paperwork completed. Then I believe you've got some shopping to do?"

Steph looked at him quizzically.

"Medical insurance cover, next of kin details etc etc." He paused slightly "then running shoes, gym attire, wedding dresses..." he trailed off with a knowing look.

o0o0o0o0o0o

The morning crawled by but finally it was 12.30 and all the forms were filled in. Lula was scheduled to pick her up at 12.45.

"Tank, I need to go make a phone call. Is there somewhere private I can do so?"

"Use Ranger's office. He's not due back just yet."

"Wilko."

"Smart arse!"

"Yep, that's why Carlos loves me!" she giggled, turning and flouncing out of his office.

Steph wandered down the corridor to Carlos' office and stood at the door way for a few moments, taking in the room where Rangeman Trenton had been planned and built. It was calm, much like 7. She could feel Ranger's vibes of comfort, love and protection as she stepped over the threshold. How would she feel if he died on his mission? Where would she get her comfort from?

The thought was too horrible to contemplate.

She wandered across to the desk and ran a hand lazily over its surface, taking in the beauty of the cool dark wood. She imagined him sitting opposite where she now stood, looking up at her, eyes soft and warm. A slight smile flickered over her face then was gone.

How could he not come back to her? He'd told her during one of their many conversations over the weekend that some of his missions had been FUBAR and the chance of survival had been slim, but he'd always returned. What made him so sure this one would end his life?

She sat down in the chair that faced his and tried to imagine what it would be like if he never filled his again.

Too much.

Time for denial land for a while.

She sat back and changed her thoughts to her family and how they'd reacted when they'd seen her temporary ring. Her mother had almost fainted. Her father had grinned and Grandma Mazur had tried to cop a feel of her fiancé as she leant past Ranger to study it. Albert had adopted the goldfish look and Valerie had turned green with envy until Steph had explained that it was only temporary and they were having some rings made. Val then gave her Cuddle Umpkins a filthy look and stomped off to the kitchen muttering something about having to warm some food for Lisa. Guess her sister was a smidge jealous. Little did she know about the black cloud ahead.

She chuckled at the different reactions of her family and the calm yet bemused air that Ranger had adopted. As far as he was concerned it was just a ring. Steph was worth every cent it had cost and more. It just represented his love for her, that was all.

She felt a familiar tingle trickle down her spine.

"Babe?"

"Oh, Hi Carlos." She replied, turning to giving him her best full on smile. He returned it and leant down for a kiss.

"I see Tank hasn't scared you off" he continued as he removed his jacket and went to hang it on the back of his chair.

"Nah. I'm in with the Boss and Tank knows that if he gives me too much shit I'll tell on him." She quipped. "Anyway, I'm slipping out with Lula later to dent my credit card and he hates shopping so won't try to follow me."

"Here" Ranger said, reaching into his jacket, pulling out his wallet and extracting a slim piece of silver coloured metal. "Take this one, Babe. You'll have more fun." He handed over a black Amex with her name on it. She looked confused so he continued. "I had it made up last year before you announced you were moving away with Morelli and I didn't have the heart to destroy it. It's been waiting for you all this time. Besides, you'll be able to be really rude to the snotty sales assistants in the most expensive shops and they'll still love you."

She shook her head at him as he sniggered at his own joke. "Ha, ha! Very funny. You won't be laughing if you knew how much money I can blow when I've nothing in my bank account. Imagine the damage I could do if I considered your balance."

"Just try to keep down to under 50 and I'll be happy." He smiled.

"$50 dollars?"

"No, $50,000 dollars."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Babe."

Steph hadn't a clue if he was being serious so decided to bait the tiger. "What would you do if I spent $50,001 dollars?"

"Easy, I'd tie you to my bed for a week..." Ranger replied, licking his lips as he walked back round to her side of the desk, sitting on the edge and planting his feet either side of hers.

Eek! Said Sensible Steph. Yum! Said her insane sister.

"Anyway, Babe, much as I like the idea of you tied to my bed, what really brings you to my lair?"

"Actually, I thought I'd phone Joe and ask to meet up. As I said to Angela, I need to set things straight. I know he shouldn't have slept with Aly whilst we were together, but I do feel that I'm partly to blame. After all, I did treat him like a yoyo, pushing and pulling him about. In all fairness, I wasn't particularly good to either one of you. I'm making amends to you" she said innocently, as she ran her index finger down his chest and along the top of his trousers "but I do think I owe it to our friendship to be honest with him." She added as she kissed his zip. Ranger's package swelled in response.

"What brought this on?" Ranger asked, pulling her up and kissing the top of her head as he moulded himself to her.

"Oh, just something someone I love said to me once." She replied vaguely.

"Proud of you Babe... Hey, I've got to go up to New York on Thursday for the day, perhaps if he's free we could combine our day and go up together? What do you think?"

"Sounds great, I'll call him. It does mean we'll have to miss our film night."

"Pity, what's playing?"

"Sound of Music."

"Shame..." he said chuckling and giving her a quick kiss before whispering a very husky "later" in her ear.

She swatted his arm playfully and leaned behind him to pick up the phone.

"Lo. Morelli speaking."

"Joe? It's me Steph, I was wondering..."

Ranger held her close, kissing her other ear as she invited her ex-boyfriend out to lunch.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Ranger looked thoughtfully at Steph as she moaned her way through the orgasmic dinner Ella had cooked for them both. They'd agreed to meet each other half way on the food front. Steph would eat more vegetables and steamed food, Ranger would do gravy and butter. This was their first meal involving the compromise and Ella had managed to strike a very good balance between what each of them liked. She'd made coq au vin with sauted potatoes and a selection of steamed vegetables. Pudding was mini mixed berry pavlovas.

"So, how did the shopping go?" Ranger asked.

"Really well. I got some running shoes, which should please Tank..."

"Don't tell me, you didn't have any." Ranger stated, leaning back slightly a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Yup! I trashed my last pair chasing a skip with Lionel and had forgotten to replace them. I also got a wedding dress and underwear, shoes and veil. Oh, you do still love me, don't you?" she wheedled, batting her eyelids.

"Hmm, that depends. What did you do wrong?"

"Nothing, but I did spend quite a lot" she said, flinching slightly as she remembered the bill.

"I told you, your limit for the day was $50 big ones." He stopped for a minute "You didn't spend more than that, did you?" looking surprised.

"No, but the dress and shoes were still a lot of money..."

"Go on then, how much" he said, sighing. He figured she felt obligated to tell him, even though he really didn't care. How expensive could a dress be, for Chrissake?

"Er, $14,000 for the dress and $1,300 for the shoes. $500 each for the three bridesmaid dresses..." Steph hung her head in shame.

"Babe."

"Babe..."

"Babe! Look at me, please." Ranger commanded softly.

Steph looked up with a guilty look on her face.

"Babe, I don't care how much you spent. How did you feel when you put the dress on?"

"Wonderful" she replied with a sigh.

"And the shoes?"

"Sexy."

"Then that's all I need to know. Babe, I once told you that there was no price on what we gave each other and it's true. You've only got the money you earned from the Brewster case. I've got enough to last us a life time and if I don't make it back, spend it, every last cent, enjoy it. Because I want you to have it all. If you can't have me then take all that was mine. You are my everything, Babe. Never doubt that."

By the time he'd finished speaking she was in his arms, engulfed in his passion, drowning in his words.

"Oh, Carlos, don't say that. You'll be back, I know you will and I'll be waiting for you."

"Promise me one thing, Querida. If I don't make it back, don't grieve forever. Go on with your life, please learn to love another,." He hugged her even closer, holding her so tightly she could hardly breathe.

"I can't promise that I will, but I'll try. Someday."

They sat quietly for a while then Ranger broke the silence, desperate to change the subject. "Fancy expanding your horizons tomorrow evening?"

"Depends on how my gym assessment goes" she swatted Ranger when he chuckled as she'd explained about the gym. "Then I've got gun practice with Hippy. Who gets given a name like Hippy anyway?"

"Beats his real name."

"Which is?"

"Can't tell you, it's classified."

"Ok, I'll ask him myself. Anyway what are we doing tomorrow?"

"Fancy trying a curry?"

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph barrelled into the Bonds Office at 8.30 the following morning. Lula was nowhere to be seen but Connie immediately leapt up from her chair and pinned Steph to the desk while she scrutinised the hardwear on Steph's finger. "And you say this isn't even the actual one. Wow, Steph it's gorgeous." She said looking wistfully at her friend and wishing someone loved her as much as Ranger obviously did Steph. She did a mental guess at the ring's value but didn't tell Steph that she thought it was just shy of $50,000 as she knew it would freak her friend out. Go figure! All Steph was interested in was his heart, and perhaps his body oh and his mind, and maybe his tongue and his hair...

"Is Vinnie in?" Steph asked, breaking into Connie's thoughts as she reluctantly pulled her hand away.

"Nah, he's out, probably shagging a duck with the Barnyard slut." She replied, calmly.

"Never mind, can you let him know that Ranger needs to speak with him."

"Sure thing."

Steph picked up the files for Rangeman and herself. The Merry Men would be dealing with everything in the short term, at least until she'd finished her 'basic' training at Haywood anyway. Lester had phoned through and confirmed everything with Vinnie whilst the love birds had been in Miami.

"Fancy a drink to celebrate?" Steph said as she turned to leave.

"You bet. Lula and Mary Lou too. We've two weddings to celebrate. Looks like I'm the odd one out, again" she mumbled.

Steph grinned. She knew something that Connie didn't. A certain member of the Haywood Hunk Tag Team had a crush on Miss Rosolli and Steph planned to hook them up.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph opened the door to her apartment and hung her bag and jacket up as she stepped into the foyer. Shutting the door she made her way into the kitchen and snagged water from the fridge before turning to her answer machine to see who'd called. It seemed like an age since she'd last been here and in her absence it had released her to her new life. It no longer felt like home.

She flopped down and put her feet up on the coffee table as she processed the callers and their messages. Two friends, eight cold calls and one heavy breather. All at least three days old. She erased them quickly. It seemed that even her answer machine was no longer a huge part of who she was.

She picked up the receiver and dialled Angela Morelli to tell her about her conversation with Joe. Both women were pleased to catch up and it was quite some time before they hung up. Steph wandered into her bedroom and assumed her thinking position, love puzzle in hand.

It now resembled a chocolate orange. Many tightly packed segments made up of a mid brown resin made the ball look like its edible counterpart. Steph studied it for a while before blowing out a sigh and setting it down on her bed side table.

She stretched lazily like a cat and closed her eyes as she imagined the previous afternoon...

"White girl, should we git matching dresses or go for something unique, bein' as we're tying the knot at the same time?"

Steph shuddered. The idea of the pair of them looking identical in something they could both agree on in just three weeks seemed nigh on impossible and slightly ridiculous so she shook her head to indicate a 'no'.

"Good answer! I didn't reckon we have the same tastes." She chuckled. "No siree, not at all."

"I was thinking about a venue, Lula. What about the rooftop at Haywood? Ella could have it decorated and what's left afterwards could be used for R&R by the Merry Men once the day is over. What do you think?"

"Girl, you so clever! That building is part of our men and therefore part of our lives. Do you think the boys will go for it?"

"Worth a try. Plus Ranger is happy for me to do exactly what I want for our big day." She bit her lip as she remembered his exact words "Babe, make it a day that you will always remember, it may be all you have from me. I'm happy to go with whatever you decide, honest."

Lula gave her a questioning look which Steph returned with soft smile. Time for a distraction. "Right. Food. What do you fancy?" They sped off to do some financial damage to their men's accounts.

Following a trip to Cluck in a Bucket for some reinforcements they arrived at Beale's to get their outfits for the big day.

They walked in to the highly exclusive and extremely expensive wedding gown boutique. It was widely known that the waiting list for appointments was long, even for the rich and famous, yet with a single phone call late yesterday afternoon, somehow Ranger had got them in. They walked nervously over to the reception desk and were greeted by the owner, Savannah, who gave them a warm smile. A cup of coffee later, both were introduced to their assistants for the afternoon who waited expectantly whilst they selected a few dresses from the extensive selection. Each dress was then carefully loaded onto a mobile clothes rail and wheeled to the awaiting changing rooms. Tank had given Lula a $10,000 budget so they both had plenty of choice.

"Damn, girl, you look fine" said Lula as Steph put on her fifth dress. It was white which suited her pale skin, sleeveless with a straight across bodice and fitted to mid thigh, after which point it flared slightly to allow her to move. The only decoration was an overlay of delicate, embroidered lace which shimmered due to the tiny Swarovski crystals and almost invisible sequins that peppered the intricate pattern. It fitted her perfectly and she felt a million dollars in it. She stepped into a pair of Christian Labouton sandals, which the assistant buckled up and turned to face her reflection in the mirror.

It was the one.

Lula had been equally successful, choosing a warm gold coloured creation that pulled her waist in and accentuated her large breasts but without showing too much. The bodice was also decorated with Swarovski crystals but instead of shimmering it sparkled as the stones were bigger. The skirt was layers and layers of tulle which skimmed her ample hips before falling to the ground in generous layers. Steph thought she looked like a big black version of Belle from Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

The shoes she chose were leopard print. "What?" she said as Steph gave her a questioning look. Actually, Steph was more surprised that there were no other animal related embellishments.

Just as they finished, Connie and Mary Lou came in and they were fitted for their bridesmaid dresses which were a deep copper colour satin which finished just below the knee and clung beautifully in all the right places. Steph had spoken to Rachel and had Julie's measurements so ordered one for her too.

The rest of the afternoon had gone in a flash and when she returned to Haywood Ella snagged her and told her that both dresses had been altered and delivered to her, along with the shoes, and she was storing them on 6.

Steph came back to today. She needed to get her things quickly and head back to Haywood where Tank was waiting to do her physical assessment. It was scheduled for 10.30 and she was already cutting it fine.

She quickly got up, grabbing her puzzle and putting it back into her handbag, where it seemed to have taken up permanent residence along with a lip gloss, mascara, two cans of hairspray, a brush, pepper spray and four million credit card receipts. Her last thought as she left her apartment and headed down the stairs was that she really must sort out the rubbish in her bag.


	32. Chapter 32

**Thanks again for your kind words of encouragement. However, don't expect much from me for the next week or so - it's half term here so the kids are off school and my husband is taking a few days off for some family time. Can't wait...**

"Yo"

"Yo yourself. So, what do I need to do to prepare for our curry night?" Steph asked as she stopped her red POS at the traffic lights.

"Babe, are you driving?"

"Yeah, I'm running late. I had to stop off to pick up some files from the office, I needed to get a few things from my apartment but I lost track of time, so I figured I'd multitask."

"Hmmm"

"So, what is the dress code for tonight?"

"Something Indian."

"Something Indian?"

"Yeah."

"But Carlos, I don't have time to sort anything out. You sorta caught me out timings wise."

"That's why I had Hippy postponed til tomorrow."

"Bet Tank's not happy." She said grinning at her phone.

"Could be right. Anyway, you need to go shopping. Ella will go with you as I've given her a couple of shops to try out. I'm sure you'll end up with something stunning as usual."

"Fine! What time are we due to head out?"

"You and Ella at 13 hundred hours, us at 19 hundred hours. Plus after the forthcoming humiliation of your fitness assessment I think you will want the distraction."

She could hear the smugness in his voice. "Gee thanks for the vote of approval, Ranger" she spat out.

"Babe" was all he could reply and with that he was gone.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"So, Steph, can you get on the treadmill for me. We'll start you off nice and slow" said Tank as he pressed his fob at the monitors, he wanted to stop the spectators before they even got started. He could imagine the collective groan that would have gone round the control room as he scrambled the feed. It was funny, but he could have sworn that there were much more staff that usual on site this morning.

Steph reluctantly stood on the hated machine and grimaced. "I can do this, I can do this" she muttered. Tank stifled a smirk as he leant towards the control panel and pressed the start button. The treadmill gently came to life and Steph began a slow walk. "Hey, this is OK, I can handle this" said Stupid Steph as Sensible Steph looked at her like she was a child. "It'll get faster you idiot" she ground out. "Oh" came the reply.

Five minutes later Tank turned off the machine and a very red faced and sweaty Steph staggered off. He wrote something down and Steph could have sworn she caught him shaking his head. She didn't think it boded well for the rest of the assessment.

"See, even I could have told you this was all a waste of time, Tank. I bet Grandma Mazur is probably fitter than me" she panted out as she doubled over trying to gain her breath. Tank silently agreed with her but knew he needed to continue so that in a month's time she would be able to see the improvement.

"Right, now that you are almost a normal colour again, let's try the cross trainer, shall we?" Tank said as he set off in it's direction. Steph couldn't see the worried look on his face. "Please don't kill me if she dies of a heart attack, Bro" he whispered under his breath so that she couldn't hear him. He swallowed hard as he set the controls and helped her climb on board.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Two hours later and Tank knew he'd never worked with anyone else, ever, who was as unfit as Steph.

"Look at it this way, Bomber, at least the only way is up" he said as he gently rubbed up and down her arm in sympathy.

She could run, ok power walk for about 5 minutes on the flat.

She could do three minutes on the cross trainer at its lowest setting.

She could use the shoulder press provided Tank only put 5kg on.

She could use the leg press with 15 kg on.

Hey, so she wasn't good, but she'd get better, of that there was no doubt. She wanted Carlos to be proud of her and she was running out of time. She made a silent promise to get the body she knew he thought she was capable of having and to gain the skills necessary to make her a really good BEA.

She slumped down on a bench and Tank handed her a bottle of water – her fourth of the morning. "Tank, answer me honestly. How long would it take to get me half as fit as you or Carlos?"

"Do you really want to know?" he grimaced.

"Yeah..."

"Starting from where you are now, I'd say about three months if you trained properly every day."

"Yikes! What could I realistically achieve before our wedding?"

"Well" he said pausing to think and for dramatic effect. "I'd say we could probably have you running 5 k's."

"Ok then, set me up a program. Before my wedding I want to be able to do at least one run with my fiancé where I don't end up on the floor puking my guts up."

Tank laughed and nodded as he opened the door and gestured for her to go and get showered.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"This looks like it" said Ella as she poked her head out of the Porsche. Ranger had insisted that if Steph was taking his wonderful housekeeper out shopping then the least she could do was ditch the Ford. Steph had thought of making a smart remark but figured that he was right, plus it had been making a rather odd noise so it probably was in its death throws.

They'd set off with Ella riding shot gun and grinning like the Cheshire Cat. She'd obviously never been in the Porsche before as she sat and pressed every button she could find.

"Yo"

"Sorry, Carlos, didn't mean to call you."

"?"

"Ella's trying all the buttons..."

"Only you Babe."

Ella looked embarrassed and Steph laughed. She remembered the first time she'd been in exactly the same position. A thought crossed her mind so she dialled speed dial 1.

"Yo"

"Tell me I didn't phone anyone..."

"?"

"The first time I got into this car." Steph heard Ranger laugh.

"See you later" he said sniggering.

"Hey! You didn't answer my..."

Ella looked quizzically at her as she stopped mid sentence. "He hung up on me" she shrugged out. The rest of the journey went without incident and they pulled up to a large shop the windows of which were a cascade of colour. Reds, golds, greens, blues. An absolute riot.

"Wow" Steph breathed out as they parked up and got out.

"Come on, Dear" said Ella as she pulled her into the Aladdin's cave.

They walked in through the door and stood in awe of the colours and textures of the fabrics that draped over the walls. "Oh my..." said Ella...

o0o0o0o0o0o

Ranger stood leaning on the door jamb, waiting for Steph to notice him. She finished putting the long ornate earring in her ear and turned round. She'd seen so many sides of Ranger in recent history that she shouldn't have been surprised that he looked damn fine in the clothes she'd seen laid across the bed an hour ago. But .god! He shrugged off the wood and walked across the room, holding out his hands to her. She smiled and stood up as she took in the sight before him. The jacket was off white and came down to his knees. The collar was mandarin and there were three sets of two buttons securing the front of the jacket to waist level. There was embroidery on one shoulder and two fine white cords ran down from it to the first set of buttons. The trousers he wore were in the same colour and the whole thing made him look like a Bollywood superstud. Yum! She thought as she reached his hands.

"Like what you see?" he quipped.

"Might do, night not." She replied licking her lips.

The jacket is called a Sherwani." He explained "It's often worn by bridegrooms."

Ranger raised one of her hands in the air and spun her gently, taking in her outfit. It was a soft turquoise-green and consisted of three pieces. A stiff, fitted slubbed silk blouse which finished about two inches above her belly button. It had short sleeves, a rounded neck line and small white pompoms dangling along the bottom edge. The floor length skirt, of a much lighter silk, swirled as she moved and had tiny white dots along the base. Finally there was a lightweight scarf that could be worn in a number of different ways. Steph had it draped round her neck so that the ends fell down her back, its pompoms finishing just by her bottom.

"It's called a lengha." Steph said by way of an explanation. "The one I really wanted was deep red with very fine gold embroidery all over it. Turns out though that red is the colour used for wedding dresses and as I've already got one, I figured I didn't need a second."

A hint of a smile passed Ranger's lips and he leaned forward to kiss her. As he did so he spotted a small jewel nestled between her eyebrows and touched it gently before kissing it. "You look amazing" he whispered into her ornate updo.

The phone rang and Ranger reluctantly left her to answer it. "Yo?"... "on our way."

He turned to look at her grinning. "looks like our ride is here" he said as he draped her arm over his and escorted her out of the door.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Lula sat with Ella and Louis agreeing the final touches to the roof top for the joint wedding. She'd already been through everything with Steph and they'd pretty much agreed with each other on how they wanted it to look.

As they wanted the Merry Men to be able to take advantage of the area after their big day, the girls had decided that it needed to be turned into a permanent rooftop garden, complete with turf and trees. A team of gardeners were due to start prepping in the morning to allow the whole thing a couple of weeks to settle in.

A wooden-legged gazebo with a canvas top would be constructed for the ceremony which could be used for outdoor festivities later on. They wanted a splash of colour – ostensibly white, pinks and oranges - across the whole area but agreed that pots would probably work best and that white ribbon would be entwined at strategic points throughout the whole garden. Hurricane lanterns and white outdoor fairy lights would be used to illuminate everything so that they could say their vows as the sun was setting.

"So, we good to go on all this shit, er I mean stuff?" said Lula.

Ella nodded as she stifled a chuckled. Pierre was so right for this woman, she thought. She remembered back to when Tank first became part of the Manoso clan. He'd have been about 5. A skinny little runt with a snot nose and large fearful eyes.

Her and Louis had been married about 18 months when they got a phone call from the foster agency asking them if they could house a very troubled little boy. A short woman of indeterminable age and background turned up, clearly keen to get on with her day, with Pierre in tow and once she'd been through the necessary paperwork, ruffled the kid's hair then turned and ran.

Louis offered him a glass of milk and a biscuit. He'd accepted the former and rejected the latter, gazing eagerly at the fruit bowl that lay on the kitchen table. A few day's later when he'd calmed down and begun to settle in, she'd taken him to play with Carlos as they were a similar age. It fitted in quite nicely with her plans as it had been a while since she'd seen sister-in-law too. The rest, as they say, is history. She'd never been allowed to adopt him but he became a permanent member of the ever growing Guzman/Manoso clan.

Louis gently squeezed her arm to bring her back from the wander down memory lane she was clearly having. A glint in his eye alerted her to the fact that she'd missed something important.

"Sorry, Dear. What did you say?" she asked.

"Wedding cake. One or two?" Lula asked as if it was the most important question in the universe.

Perhaps it was.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"So, Carlos. Why all of this?"

Ranger smiled and kissed her ring finger again, as he had for most of the evening. He didn't seem to be able to take his hands off her and knew that when they got back in the limo to drive home he'd have to raise the modesty screen. He leant under the table and readjusted himself for the umpteenth time that evening.

"Querida, I chose this for two reasons. One is for the food – we both get to eat food in our preferred ways. You got your butter and I got my grilled food." He smiled and kissed her hand again "and the second reason is love."

"?"

"India has a great legacy of passionate romances. Think Arabian nights, the Taj Mahal..."

The Taj Mahal?"

"Yeah. The greatest monument to love built in recent times."

Steph look intrigued "care to enlighten me?" she asked, turning his hand over and kissing its soft pads.

"The Taj Mahal, in Agra in India, was built by the Shah Jahan as a lasting tribute to his most beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal Begum. He fell in love with her in his teens but wasn't allowed to take her as his first wife. He had to wait until after he'd married for money, title and land before they could be joined. She died giving birth to one of their many children and he mourned her passing for the rest of his life. Her name means Chosen One of the Palace. Not often in history is a wife allowed to have any input into the way a country is ruled, but it would appear that they were a true partnership." He squeezed her hand gently "Just like us" he whispered, tears shining in his eyes as he raised a glass to her in a silent toast.

"So, what other experiences have you planned for us and why?" she asked gently.

"Apart from tonight's dancing? Well, I plan to take you to a little Italian restaurant I know to have a go at making pasta. Then to experience Thailand's massages. After that Skiing – I would have preferred Zermatt but Philadelphia's snow dome will have to do..."

"Why?" she repeated, interrupting softly.

Ranger dipped his head and sighed before returning his gaze to hers. "I wanted to take you to all the places that have made me who I am. Not the nasty ugly bits of my past, but the places I fondly remembered and vowed I would revisit one day when time permitted."

There was something he was not telling her and so she repeated "why?"

"Because I really wanted to take you to all those places for our honeymoon." He whispered, grazing her knuckles with his lips. "I wanted to spend several months showing you some of the most incredibly places in the world."

They drank the love coming from each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity but was probably only half a minute, stopping only when the waiter returned to remove their plates.

Not long after the lights went down slightly and the background music suddenly stopped. Three tiny elegant women and five male musicians moved into the room, using unusual instruments to create the most sinuous and haunting sounds. They finished their first number very quickly and upped the tempo as the women went round the restaurant pulling up people to dance with them. Steph noticed, for the first time, that everyone in the room was dressed in similar clothing to her own. Although, she noted, none looked as handsome as her fiancé.


	33. Chapter 33

Thursday came round far too fast for Steph's liking.

On Wednesday she'd spent time with Hippy shooting holes in paper men, learning about ballistics, the types of guns and which would work best for her and how to aim and fire with her eyes open. She'd even managed to find out where the nickname 'Hippy' had come from. Turns out he'd once tried magic mushrooms and had spent a week in hospital having an allergic reaction to the drug psilocin contain therein. Turns out some army types have a sense of humour, go figure.

She'd also learned a couple of basic 'how to get away from FTA's covered in something slimy moves', met a potential client for a business lunch and learned how to pick the lock to her desk drawer.

But she still hadn't managed to open her love puzzle.

6.45 and the alarm clock was singing its little heart out, well until Steph picked it up and stuffed it under Ranger's pillows. After that it seemed to lose a bit of its enthusiasm. Bit like Steph. What on earth was she really going to say to Joe? It had all seemed like a good idea until today. Her talk with Angela and her subsequent phone call did nothing to dent the nerves she was feeling.

She felt two large hands circle her ankles and she was yanked unceremoniously down the bed and out of the bottom.

"Wakey, wakey, rise and shine" said a far too cheerful Ranger, clad only in water droplets. If Steph wasn't so pissed off she'd be licking her lips.

"Like what you see?" he asked. Guess she'd been licking her lips after all.

He stood her upright and closed her fingers round the handle of a steaming coffee cup. "Need to get going, Babe" he said as he patted her on the bum and pushed her into the bathroom. She put her steaming cup down on the counter and walked on auto pilot into the shower cubicle where Niagara Falls battered her into submission. She washed, conditioned, shaved and exfoliated everything and was out in record time – ten minutes, starting to feel half human. Several large gulps of coffee and she felt even better.

When she stepped into the kitchen a few minutes later hugging her now empty mug dressed in jeans, t-shirt and hoodie, Ranger was reading the paper and munching on a bagel. He looked up and smiled. God! He loved the way she looked first thing in the morning. Bright and enthusiastic, pure and clean, ready to absorb the woes of the world... he chuckled to himself.

"What?"

Somehow she'd managed to put her hoodie on inside out. "Come here, Querida" he beckoned, smiling, before pulling her onto his lap and sorting her out.

o0o0o0o0o0o

The trip to NY was uneventful and boring. Ranger was in his zone and if he hadn't been holding her hand and running circles over it with his thumb as they drove to the airport, she'd had thought he hadn't known she was there. They boarded their plane with little fuss and she'd immediately fallen asleep – sleep in Denial Land was always the best idea when aeroplanes were involved. Before she knew it, they were in the back of a cab and on the way to the office where Ranger was having his meeting. The cab dropped him off after a brief and loving kiss and she headed off to do a little wedding related window shopping before going to the restaurant to meet up with Joe.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Cupcake! You made it!" Joe swept her up into his arms for a bear hug before holding her at arms length to give her the once over. Ranger was obviously suiting her as she positively glowed, but in her eyes he could see a profound sadness. Surely _he _hadn't hurt her? He thought to himself as he dragged her down into the booth.

"Joe. I'm so pleased to see you. How's things? Any news you want me to take back to the boys at TPD?"

"No, nothing new to tell. I've settled in to my new apartment." He paused slightly and leaned back against the seat as he thought about what he'd just said. It should have been their apartment, but it was all too late now. "Work is _killing_ me" he said, chuckling. "and my personal life sucks. Pretty much nothing to gossip about."

A pretty waitress came over to their table and asked for their drinks order. Beer and water, twice. She gave them both a menu and stepped away to speak to the bartender.

"So, what's new with you, Steph?" he said, trying to sound casual, even though his body language was not quite so relaxed.

"Well, um...Rangeraskedmetomarryhim andisaidyes" she blurted out quickly, shutting her eyes and holding her breath.

"Say again?" Joe said, clearly confused by her outburst but his look changed to one of understanding as the overhead light suddenly danced off her ring throwing light across the booth. "Ah!" he said, his face now blank.

"Joe, I'm sorry that it's all happened so quickly. It looks like I forgot you the moment we split up, but I promise you it's not like that." Something in her eyes told him that something had happened.

"God, Steph, you're not pregnant are you?" he said exasperatedly. That _might _explain the sadness in her eyes.

"No, not that I know of, although we have been trying..." Steph stopped, too much information, perhaps? She thought as she cringed to herself.

"Then what, Steph? He hasn't forced you into this has he? I'll kill him if he has done anything to hurt you." He could feel his attitude taking a wrong turn and took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down. The last thing he wanted was a shouting match over the man.

"No, not yet, anyway."

"When's the wedding?" he asked, not wishing to hear her reply.

"Two and a half weeks."

The waitress returned with the drinks and asked them if they wanted to order. Joe asked for a couple more minutes and she left them to it.

"We're having a joint ceremony, with Tank and Lula, on the roof top of Haywood." Steph continued, pretending to study the food on offer so that she could avoid looking at him. "It'll be a small affair, just 30 or so people. It should be lovely."

"Then why aren't you happy? Steph, what's going on? I'm worried about you and the way you're telling me this. There's a lot of pain there, not happiness. Something's not right and I want to know what it is." He said gently, tipping his head slightly to one side and reaching out to gently grab her hand.

Steph closed her eyes and a tear welled up and slowly spilled down onto her cheek, gravity causing it to pick up speed as it left a tell tale mark in its wake.

Joe was round the table in a second, pulling her into his arms and caressing her back as she cried quietly into his shirt. "I didn't mean for this to happen, I'm so sorry to behave like this, but I've been brave for so long and I don't know how much longer I can do this." she sniffed, her voice trailing off to nothing.

"Christ, Steph! What the hell is going on?" he demanded pulling her away from his so that he could look into her deep blue pools. They were full of heartache, not for today, but for things yet to come. Joe was totally confused.

"Please. Steph. talk. to. me?" he pleaded softly.

Steph took a big gulp of air "We get married on the Friday and on Monday he's going into the wind. I don't know details, but he's pretty much convinced he's not going to make it back. Joe, what am I going to do if he doesn't come home? I don't think I'll be able to go on. He's my _life_." Another tear dropped from her eye and began its course down her face.

Joe sighed and for some reason a conversation he'd had at a civic function he'd attended last month forced its way into his consciousness.

_He'd walked over to Halliday, the High Commissioner, who was just finishing up a conversation with someone Joe didn't recognise. _

"_...poor bastard!" Halliday said quietly, shaking his head._

"_Yeah" said the stranger "and word is he's finally settled down with some woman he's been dancing around for years. Ironic isn't it that the great man is finally ready to call it quits. I had hoped he'd become one of my instructors and pass his skills on to others, but now I know that unless he gets a miracle it's extremely unlikely." He gave Halliday a knowing look, nodded to Morelli and wandered off._

"_What was all that about?" Joe asked, his curiousity peaked._

"'Mr Smith'_ was just telling me about a phone call he's got to put in to one of his operatives. The best of the best. A machine of a man who has seen more than his fair share of the crap that the world has to offer. He's not looking forward to it – turns out he's sending him to his death and Mr Smith is not happy about it. Apparently the man's a bit like James Bond and Rambo combined and he was at least hoping he'd get an invite to meet the woman who tamed him. She must be one hell of a girl."_

Crap! He thought as the penny dropped. Manoso was the man 'Mr Smith' had been referring to. Mr! Pah! General more like. He'd recognised the man as being special forces as soon as he'd looked at him. Retired or not, he had obviously been a Seal or Ranger at some point in his past and the way he held himself had screamed out at him but at the time he couldn't work out why.

He looked at Steph "I'm so sorry, Cupcake!" he said, his own heart breaking a little. He had hoped that one of them would get their happy ending, but it looked as if the Gods were determined to keep on piling shit on them.

They decided not to bother with food, suddenly neither was hungry. Instead they finished their drinks and left the restaurant. The days were still warm and soft so they headed to a park Joe knew about. It was a few minutes walk from where they had attempted to have lunch. They sat on a bench overlooking a small lake and ate ice cream instead. Denial definitely the name of the game.

Steph stared out across the lake before changing the subject to a less painful one. "Joe, your Mum was saying Bethany Henderson moved up here last year. I haven't seen her for ages. I don't know how much time you've got before you need to get back to work, but fancy joining us for a coffee later?"

"Yeah, sure thing, Steph" he said, rolling his eyes. Did he really want to be near Bethany again? She'd been such a pain when they were young. She'd been a couple of school years behind him – in Steph's class in fact – and had had a non-too subtle and very public crush on him when she was 14. How embarrassing! Hence the ice down the top. Luckily not only had it cooled her skin, but her ardour as well. He rubbed his arm where the stitches had been, remembering.

"Can't hurt, I guess" he said, happy that Steph had been able to change the subject. Her impending heartbreak being too much for him to bear.

o0o0o0o0o0o

They met with Bethany and Steph could see that there was a definite friendship in the making. She was slightly smaller that Steph, but had long brown hair that she had clipped up so that the ends splayed outwards and down the back of her head. Her eyes were hazel, her nose small and straight and her teeth perfect. She went in and out in all the right places and still had a wicked sense of humour. In fact, after the revelations of earlier, she was the perfect antidote. She had a great social life but admitted that time was marching on and perhaps she should think about settling down and starting a family. Hmmm, thought Steph. Angela had been right to call her.

As all three went their separate ways later that afternoon, it was obvious that Joe had found someone that might even be more than just girl friend material, but girlfriend material. Steph hoped, as she hopped into her cab to go find Ranger, that Joe may be about to get his happy ending. At least one of us will, she hoped grimly.

o0o0o0o0o0o

The weekend came round all too quickly and Ellen invited Steph and Ranger round for dinner so that they could catch up on the wedding plans. Invites had been sent out. Replies had started to come back. Looks like everything was good to go. They had a lovely meal – even Grandma Mazur behaved herself. Might have had something to do with the fact that her new beau, an octogenarian called Otto, fell asleep on her shoulder, effectively pinning her to her chair and out of harm's way.

o0o0o0o0o0o

On the way home, Ranger was pensive. Normally he was quiet, in his zone, but tonight it was something more. Steph sensed something was up, but her brittle calm after the conversation with Morelli was starting to wear out.

"Babe, if I don't come back please love again someday. I'd hate that you wasted your life grieving."

His sentence hung in the air so that Steph could hardly breathe. She desperately wanted to deny the future. "Please" she said, raising her hand to stop him.

She turned to face him "I'll try, Carlos, but I can't guarantee that I'll be able to do it." She turned away and stared of the window, feeling his strength and warmth where her hand rested on his leg, unable to imagine him cold and gone.

"Babe, you made me promise to be upbeat until I go. But it's getting harder and harder. I worry that you won't cope if I don't make it back. Promise me you'll keep going. Never give up and be happy. You have so many people around you who will help you, please let them." She could hear the hurt in his voice. "Babe, promise me you'll never give up. Promise!" he was almost begging.

"One one condition."

"?"

"You have to promise me you'll do everything you can to get home to me. In one piece or with bits missing. I don't care! I need your heart and your mind, the rest is a bonus."

"I promise, Querida."

"Then I promise too, Carlos."

The rest of the ride home was quiet and they went to bed and made slow gentle love until they finally fell asleep in each other's arms.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph woke to the sound of a phone ringing. She rolled over and glanced at the bedside clock. 3.37? Who the hell would call at 3.3... The realization hit her. The mission was on. Now!

NOOOOO!

Ranger picked up his mobile and immediately got out of bed. Steph lay gazing at the back of him, lost in thought until she heard him swear and throw the phone against the wall, it shattered and fell to the floor in a million pieces. The anger he was feeling now bounced round the room.

"Carlos?" Steph said quietly as she saw he'd not moved from his spot

"I leave in half an hour...and I'll be taking Hector with me." He ground out as he turned to his wardrobe and pulled out a duffel bag.

**Don't hate me, please... :o(**


	34. Chapter 34

**I dunno! I can't win with you lot! If I write something 'happy' and fluffy I get a few reviews. But if I write a really angsty chapter you're all up in arms and I'm innundated with comments! Makes me almost want to write Ranger out completely just to see your reaction and to add to my review numbers, but I wouldn't do that to you... there will be lots of HEAs in this story. I promise.**

Steph got up and went into the bathroom where she gathered up Ranger's shaving kit, shower gel, deodorant and shampoo. Putting it all in a small black leather pouch she found under the sink she took a deep breath and marched purposefully back into the bedroom, determined not to cry.

Ranger silently took the pouch from her outstretched hand and added it to the collection within his duffel bag. He avoided her eyes and crouched down on the floor in the corner of the wardrobe and began to open the safe.

"Carlos" Steph whispered gently. He ignored her and carried on with getting his weapons out of their home. "Carlos, please" she whispered again, her voice cracking slightly.

He stood and faced her, his blank face firmly in place.

"You can take that off right now, Mister!" she spat out running her hand around the edge of his face. His expression softening as she touched him. He closed his eyes and sighed as a tear slid down his cheek. He opened his eyes and she could see the look of utter failure held within his chocolate pools.

"Don't, don't you dare!" she whispered angrily. "None of this is your fault. If you don't come back, know that I have loved you so very much and that all that we've had in our short time together will be with me forever. I'll never forget you or how you've made me feel."

He dropped the bag on the floor.

He sighed again then in a barely audible voice took her hands in his, kissing them and saying "Do you, Babe, take me, Carlos, for your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish from this day forward until death us do part."

"I do" she whispered, giving his hands a squeeze and looking deep into his eyes. "Do you, Carlos, take me, Stephanie, to be your wife to have and to hold from this day forward, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish from this day forward until death us do part."

"I do" came the strained reply.

They kissed for what seemed an eternity before they reluctantly pulled apart.

"I plan to do that for real in two weeks' time. I promise you I will be back. The odds and the Gods may be against me, but I'm damned if I will let you down, Steph. Babe."

He gave her one last bone melting kiss before turning and walking out. As he reached the door he turned back one more time, a small muscle twitching in his jaw "I'll be back for our wedding, Babe. Make no mistake about that." And with that he was gone.

She rushed into the lounge and over to the window, placing her hands on the cold glass. On the street below, Illuminated by a single street light, she could make out a car and two men walking up to it. As they got closer the boot opened and they threw their bags in, she saw it being slammed shut and heard a muffled angry noise a few seconds later as the sound reached her. The men got in and the car was gone into the night. She stood there, transfixed, as the night sky joined her in sending water southwards. Her tears falling silently onto the windowsill as the rain danced at the feet of the street lamp.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Where's Hector?" Tank asked Cal at 0840 hours the next day. He was ten minutes late for the start of his shift. Funnily enough, he hadn't seen Ranger that morning either, but judging by the mood he'd been in lately, he figured he and Bomber were getting some exercise.

"Cal, who's free to go to his apartment?"

"Santos."

"Fine, call him and get him to check him out. Get Bobby on standby, just in case." Something didn't feel right, Hector was normally a few minutes early getting up to 5. Perhaps he'd had Conrad over again. Shit! If he'd missed the start of his shift for his boyfriend, he'd be in big trouble. Perhaps he was ill, food poisoning or flu... He wandered back to his office and walked in just as the desk phone rang. He reached over and picked it up.

"Yo" he said.

"Tank, we've got trouble. Hector's not here and judging by the way he's left I'd say he was pulled out last night on a mission."

"But he's not black ops."

"No." Replied Tank grimly. That could mean only one thing. He'd been pulled away by Ranger. He sank down in the chair closest to him "Go up to 7 would ya. I think Steph might be needing some support right now. Confirm back immediately you know the situation."

"10-4." Lester quipped grimly.

Tank didn't even have the heart to tick him off.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Lester silently let himself in, using the key he'd picked up from Ella. She was standing at his shoulder as he opened the door to the bedroom.

The room was a mess, the bed dishevelled and empty, the wardrobe and safe doors were all open. Lester looked round in horror at the carnage. Where was Steph? Where was Ranger? He looked round again then went back out of the room and started to look round the apartment. Finally he saw Steph standing at the window, her hands and forehead stuck to the glass. She looked frozen in time.

"Ella, I'll go get Bobby, you stay with her, but don't move her please" he said as he rushed over to the phone on the coffee table.

Minutes later Bobby had unglued Steph from the window and was walking her back towards the bedroom. Ella had tidied up and smoothed out the sheets and between them they carefully laid her down.

"Shh, Beautiful, it's only a mission. Ranger's the best, he'll be back in no time." Lester said, trying to reach inside her head with some sympathy.

"You don't understand," Steph whimpered "it's a suicide mission." And with that she passed out.

"Shit!" said Santos and Brown at the same time.

"Oh dear!" said Ella.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Mmmmm" came the contented sound from beside him. He rolled slightly and traced along the outside of her arm and down the side of her torso. "Mmmmm" she said again, stretching slightly under his attentive hands.

"Bethany. I've got to get up and go to work now, Honey. Will you be here later?" he asked her, hoping she'd want to make this a more permanent arrangement. He'd never felt like this with anyone, not even Steph, and that had surprised him. Looks like all the history in the world with someone didn't always lead to the right place. Here, now, with Bethany, he felt like he was home. He just hoped she felt the same way about him. Was it too early to propose? Of course it was! But it felt right. They'd talked for hours, something that he'd never done with any other woman, and they both wanted the same things. Kids one day. A nice house in a quiet suburb, not far from the Burg, perhaps but definitely not in it. They were both ok with waiting a while – hey their work wouldn't allow for it right now anyway, but at some point it was what they both wanted.

"Yeah, Joe. Gotta go too, but how's about I pick up some Chinese and we watch a game later." She turned to face him, hoping he could see how happy being with him made her. She felt complete. She'd never felt like this with anyone else. Hell, it had only been a week since they'd hooked up again, courtesy of Steph. Yeah, she'd admitted that her and Angela had hoped to play matchmaker. At the time she'd felt annoyed that they'd done what they'd done. Especially with them being an ex-girlfriend and his mother, but looking back she realised they'd done her a huge favour. Not only was Joe a good man, but boy, he was sex personified and well, after they'd hit the sack she knew he'd ruined her for all other men. They'd talked for hours and found out that they wanted so much of the same things. Was it a leap year? How would he feel about marriage. Nah! Far too early...

"Bethany, look I know this is a bit quick but..."

"But what, Joe?" She thought he looked a bit nervous.

"Oh, nothing, I'm being silly so just forget it, will ya."

Bethany had been playing with one of his hands at this point so used it to help flip him onto his back and quickly straddled him. "Oh no you don't, buddy. Spit it out, whatever's on your mind, go for it."

He took her hands in his and gave her a smile as he flipped them both over, her hands firmly pinned above her shoulders. He was resting between her legs and she could feel his arousal on her stomach. He grinned, playfully.

"I know this is a bit quick, but how would you feel about marrying me?"

She smiled broadly "I like quickly" she said sucking his bottom lip into her mouth.

"Is that a yes?" he stuttered out.

"Yeah, that's a yes." She replied as she pulled his face down to hers to seal the deal.

They were both late for work that morning and went out ring shopping later that afternoon.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"How is she?" Ellen asked worriedly as she rode up to 7 with Bobby.

"Still very much in shock" came the reply.

"Oh dear! Why didn't she tell us about Ranger's mission. We'd all have been there to help her and to support her when he left."

"Denial Land." Bobby said.

"Ah!" said Ellen softly, clutching her secret weapon to her chest.

They both stood silently for the rest of the journey.

Ping! Went the lift door happily as they stepped out and into the corridor.

Moments later they were in Ranger's apartment "I'll leave you here" Bobby said softly giving Ellen a quick arm squeeze and turning to return to 5.

The lobby was broodingly quiet. Angry and resentful of visitors. Ellen quickly stepped through, putting her parcel down on the dining table. She needed to see her daughter, to give her all the love that she had. To give her the one thing only a Mother could, the soothing arms that had held her since birth. The same ones who'd held her after she'd learned the train game. The same ones that had picked her up when she'd tried to fly.

And if all that failed, she had pineapple upside down cake for her.

Ellen stepped into the bedroom. Wow! She thought as she looked quickly around it. No wonder Steph moved in with Ranger so quickly. The calm, benign power that lurked within its walls told her more about Carlos the man than anything he'd ever said or done in her presence. This was Steph's home, within these walls, within this cocoon, was the essence of Ranger. It even smelled of him and the smell suggested power.

She looked at the bed where Steph lay, curled up in the foetal position. "Steph, sweetheart..." she started, her heart breaking at the little girl lying in the huge bed. Dipping down onto it she touched her daughter's arm.

"Mum! How will I survive without him?" Steph wailed springing into her arms. The arms that loved her almost as much as Ranger's did.


	35. Chapter 35

**Keep R&R'ing. You're so making my day - thanks for your wonderful comments. xx**

"Where's my girl?" Lula bellowed, storming into the bedroom later that afternoon. Steph had managed to get her head round all the things her mother had told her and somehow things did not seem so bleak. She knew Ranger had Hector with him and despite his scary appearance, she knew he was the best at what he did. During the Brewster incident he'd blown the house up so carefully that it looked like a gazelle kneeling in submission with a tiger on its back.

Hector would keep her fiancé safe or would die trying... Not something she wanted to think about.

Ellen was in the kitchen with Ella discussing menu options for the impending Manoso invasion the following week when Lula came crashing in. Before Ella had a chance to go and tell her to calm down, Ellen had hold of her to prevent her from moving. "She's just what the doctor ordered, wait and see" she whispered.

Sure enough, a few minutes later a very subdued Steph was up and about.

"...Two things, white girl" Lula said as she pushed into the kitchen to get Steph a cup of coffee "A, you got a wedding to finish organising and B you ain't finished your love puzzle yet." She turned round and presented a mug and the puzzle to her friend and pushed her back out into the lounge.

"For starters, we ain't finalised the cakes yet. Do you want chocolate, walnut, coffee, lemon or vanilla for yours? What shape? How many layers – you gotta have layers..."

Lula continued to harass Steph for the rest of the afternoon, bit by bit forcing her to focus on the real world. Even if Steph had given up on the idea of a joint wedding, Lula hadn't and Steph realised that she needed her blind faith.

They agreed the last of the arrangements by 5 o'clock with the additional help of Ellen and Ella and called Tank and Louis up to give them a list of outstanding jobs that would add the finishing touches to their roof top wedding.

Ella called Pinos for a pizza delivery. "Desperate measures for desperate times" she said by way of an explanation as the numbers in the apartment swelled with Ranger's men, all of whom loved his woman in their own way too and wanted to show their support. Admittedly, some wanted to sleep with her, others to be allowed to fall in love with her, a few just wanted to be her friend. But all wanted to be there for her in her darkest hours.

Everyone except Lula left at about 10.30 and the darkness and the silence were all too much.

"Lula, I need to get out of here."

"Sure thing, Sweetie." Came a sleepy reply from the couch.

"See you later" Steph whispered as she picked up her coat, handbag and keys and headed for 5.

She took the stairs just to give her legs something to do and opened the door quietly into a very calm control room. "Hey, Ram" she said as she approached the monitors.

"Steph" he said, warily. He knew what was going on, Hell the whole of Rangeman did. Luis Manoso had wanted to leave the Miami office to run itself just to be with her but Tank had talked him out of it. He didn't want her to get spooked anymore than was necessary by what was going on. They'd deal with it if the shit hit the fan, until then, everyone was going to live in Denial Land. None of them knew what they would do if Ranger or Hector didn't come back. It was something no one wanted to even consider.

"Ram, I need to go out for a while, is there anyone free to take me? I'm not sure I'm up to driving at the mo."

"If its junk food you're after I'll ring out for it for you..."

"No, I need to visit..."

"Sit yourself down, Bombshell. I'll sort you out a chauffeur." He butted in, using his hand as a stop sign and picking his phone up.

Five minutes later Tank appeared. "Where to, my lady?" he said, sweeping his arm out gallantly before gesturing to the lift doors.

"I want to go to Church, I hope that's ok with you..." she looked up guiltily to guage his reaction.

His banter forgotten, Tank coughed nervously to clear his throat and pulled her into his embrace. "Anything, Bomber, anything at all."

"Even India?" she said smiling cheekily.

He pulled back and grimaced at her.

"Be careful what you promise, I'm feeling vulnerable at the moment, big fella ..."

"I'll phone Morelli." Tank offered carefully.

Steph grinned sadly "My spidey senses tell me he's off the market plus I prefer men with very long dark hair these days" she said quietly as she turned back towards the lift.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"...and if you don't bring him back to me I'll make your life hell when I finally get to meet you. And I've been told I'm very unreasonable and stubborn, especially when angry." Steph threatened as she knelt in one of the pews, clasping her hands in front of her.

The serenity of the church had soothed her frayed nerves and some of her Burg attitude had returned. Steph hadn't meant to threaten her Maker, but he'd made her so cross! Just when she thought her life had been coming together nicely she'd been shat on from a great height. "I mean, look at that rat bastard Orr..." she humphed out.

It was bad enough when her skips got her covered in rubbish, she thought, but between the Holy Father, the God of the Dumpster and all the other Gods that had let her down over the years she was feeling cheated. She mentally crossed her arms as she continued with her rant. .. "and I still haven't unravelled my love puzzle yet..." Something compelled her to pick up her handbag and root round in it. She didn't know what she was looking for so sat back up on the wooden bench and carefully put its contents beside her. Pepper spray, nail varnish, hair brush, purse, till receipts, broken pen... nothing! She put everything back except the receipts. Might as well check them through so that she could bin them she thought so looked at the first one – Pinos: 1 x sub, 1 x pizza, 2 x diet cokes. The second one was for some new handcuffs. The third was for the 7-11: 4 x Tastycakes, 2 x krimpets, 1 x box of tampons..., the next one... was blank except for some writing on it. She recognised its owner immediately – Carlos. It said "how do you normally open them? Babe, if you understand this clue you'll win the prize. R xxx"

She quickly went through the other pieces of paper but the rest were just receipts ready to be recycled.

She turned over the piece of paper Ranger had written on to see if there was anything else on the back but it was blank. She knelt back down again, whispering out loud. "Thank you, Lord for giving me this time with my fiancé and his confounded love puzzle, now please give me the rest back, Ricardo Carlos Manoso. Remember him, tall, dark, smoulderingly handsome and great in bed? Should I be telling you that bit? Ah, but you're omnipotent aren't you?" She blushed slightly. "Please bring him back to me," she continued more softly, "preferably in one piece, and let us grow old together, and if you can't do that, can you at least have let him get me pregnant? I really need something of him in my life to love forever."

Not long after that she got up and left with Tank trailing behind her, she hadn't noticed, but he'd been praying just as hard as she had. He dropped her back to 7 and picked Lula up and took her home.

Next morning Steph's visit to the bathroom included her feeling slightly queasy. She ignored the sensation and it soon passed, putting it down to nerves.

The next day she threw up big time.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Bobby?"

"Bomber, you OK?" he asked cautiously as he popped his head into her bedroom. She was a remarkable woman, he thought, less than a week ago her man went off on a potential suicide mission and here she was, functioning and even offering support to some of those around her, including Tank and himself. Her upbeat attitude since she'd been to Church astounded him. She must have had a really good conversation with the Man upstairs.

"Er, in here, Bobby." He followed the voice into the bathroom where he found Steph draped round the toilet bowl.

He quickly stepped into the room and smelt her vomit. "Steph, are you OK?" he asked, kneeling at her side and stroking her hair.

"Yeah, never been better" she replied grimly as another wave of nausea hit her and she heaved into the bowl.

Bobby stood up to go and find her a flannel and noticed one already positioned within reach. Hmmm.

"Bobby, any chance you have a pregnancy test in your first aid equipment?" she asked as she leant over and heaved again. He wiped her forehead and neck for her.

"Coming right up." He answered quickly, turning to leave.

"Bobby?"

"Can we keep this a secret, please?" she asked as she felt the bile rise again.

"Sure, Bomber" he said as he left to go retrieve his kit, leaving her to do what she had to do.

Steph knelt back and flushed the toilet then stood up tentatively, wiping her mouth with the cold flannel. "Please, God. I know I said I hoped I was pregnant, but I really need the baby's father to be here to look after it with me" she whispered, looking heavenward, a single tear worked its way out and ran down her cheek. She took a big gulp of air, squared her shoulders and went into the kitchen to wait for Bobby.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Connie was sitting at her desk, filing her nails when Lula walked in, bagged up donuts and MacDonalds breakfast things in hand. "Couldn't decide what to have, I need grease AND sugar this mornin'" she said as she plonked herself down on the couch. Connie stood up and went to get coffees for both of them. The mood in the office had been sombre for the last few days as the news of Ranger's mission sank in.

"We need a distraction" said Connie as she took a large sip from her cup and Routed around in the McDonalds bag. "You have everything ready for your wedding but we haven't planned a hen night yet." She said triumphantly. "It's what we all need right now." She quickly picked up her phone and dialled a number "Hi, table for 12 please, uh huh. Wednesday? Great."

She put the phone down and looked over at Lula. "All sorted. We're going sharking" she said smiling.

"Starking? I ain't going anywhere near Stark Street for my hen night, girl. You outta your tiny mind?"

"Not Starking! Sharking! We're on the hunt for some men to have some fun with. Thought we'd invite all the women attending the wedding, should break the ice a bit."

"So, where are we going for this 'sharking'?" Lula asked dubiously.

"Club Tequila."

Lula groaned, Connie laughed and the door opened to reveal Zero.

"Hello, ladies" he purred as he walked to Connie's desk. Connie blushed slightly and pointed to the stack of files on her desk. "Any for Bomber?" he continued.

"Three, they're at the top."

"What you all smirking for?" he asked, checking his flies to make sure they were done up. They were.

"Hen night is booked for next Wednesday." Lula started "We're going 'sharking' at Club Tequila" she said, putting air quotes round the word sharking. "I hope my Tankie doesn't mind. After all, he don't want me blowing him over for some other man." She said seriously.

Zero mentally smiled although his face showed nothing of the emotion he was showing. His self control was almost as good as Ranger's which was handy as otherwise his dick would be waving, full mast, at Connie. Wow! He thought she was looking gooood this morning. He quickly turned as left as some of his control started to slip.

"Ladies." He nodded as he turned and walked out. So, Club Tequila, eh? He opened his phone "Santos?"

...

"Yeah, Stag do. Club Tequila, next Wednesday. The girls will be on Lula and Steph's hen do there."

...

"Yeah I thought so too." He finished the call, got into his SUV and motored out of the car park.


	36. Chapter 36

**Thanks for your wonderful words and apologies for taking little longer to write this chapter. I found this really hard to put down on paper. There's so much to say in it...**

So dark, so cold, so wet. Dios! If I have to die, please don't let it be here in this twisted hateful Gangland war, he thought... Please God, let me make it home. I have so much to live for. A woman who warms my bed, who warms my heart. Perhaps even a child if our timing was right. His thoughts turned to images of Steph cradling her belly, firm and round with his child... Focus! Snap out of it Soldier and FOCUS!

He turned to the man as his side. He couldn't see him or feel him but he could sense the tension he was giving off. He motioned for Hector to work his magic. In the darkness he felt his partner smile and then the bomb went off...

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph lay on her bed, looking at the clue from Carlos. What on earth did it mean?

"_how do you normally open them? Babe, if you understand this clue you'll win the prize. R xxx"_

She sighed as she turned it over in her hand once more. The light from her bedside lamp reflected off her ring and made her stare up at the ceiling at the bright blue and white circles that danced as she moved it. Her 'real' engagement ring had arrived that morning and she had wasted no time in putting it on. It slid onto her finger and felt so right. The other one had been beautiful but this one felt like it was part of her. Now all she needed was to put its partner next to it.

"Please send him home to me, whatever it takes and no matter what state he's in. I'll heal him if I have to" she whispered as she rolled the jewels round her finger and back to the front again.

She picked up the love puzzle "Right. You! I've had enough now, let's get you opened" she said glaring at it. She sat up and turned it in her hand. It reminded her of... a chocolate orange! Of course! What was the strapline? - Whack it and unwrap it* - Surely it wasn't that simple? Perhaps, wherever he was Carlos was laughing. He'd know that she would get frustrated and agitated and would resort to violence... he knew her too well. Now, where did her fiancé keep his Maglite? She thought determinedly as she got up off the bed.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Tank?"

"Yo"

"1400 hours, Wednesday. Be ready. We're going on your stag do. You'll be taking Ranger's place too so expect twice as much humiliation..."

Groan...

"We'll take that as a yes then" said the caller grinning. Lester hung up on the big man before he had a chance to say anything in reply.

Tank lowered his head to the desk and began banging it softly on its surface. What the hell had he just let himself in for?

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph looked at the pieces strewn about the kitchen work surface and giggled triumphantly. She'd done it! The damn puzzle was complete and the prize lay in the middle of the mess of brown segments.

She put down the maglite and picked up a small key nestling in the mess she'd just created and turned it over in her hand to examine it. It was gold in colour and old fashioned looking with a soft dark green tassel hanging from the rounded bow. She knew exactly where it belonged as she'd seen its partner in the dining room of Ella's apartment. Hidden in plain sight.

She looked at the clock – 8.15, not too late to call?

No, in fact she'd wander down and knock on the door. She'd been cooped up in the apartment for too long and she needed to get out.

Minutes later she stood outside the Guzman's front door. OK, Manoso, what has this all been about she asked rhetorically. She knocked and Ella answered.

"Hello Dear!" Ella smiled, looking a tad confused.

Steph silently held up her hand containing the key.

"Ah!" said Ella, smiling and turning back into the apartment, pulling Steph gently behind her by her hand. She led her to the dining room where a small, beautiful, antique brown box sat, pride of place, in the middle of her sideboard. It had two locks on the front and in one of the holes was a key matching Steph's.

"May I?" Ella said gesturing for Steph to give her the key. She slid it home "I've always wondered what was in this box. Carlos told me it contained something special but I'd have to wait until the time was right. Should have known it was to do with you. I've had it a couple of years or so. In fact, I think he gave it to me just after Julie was kidnapped."

She moved out of the way and Steph stepped up to it and gently turned the keys, one after the other. Opening the lid she looked inside to see a DVD nestling on the sumptuous cushioned interior. Taking it out she looked at the writing on the front which said "Babe."

"Do you want to watch it here, Dear?" Ella asked after a little while. Steph had been holding it as if she couldn't decide whether it was friend or foe. "It won't be anything bad, Steph" Ella reasoned out loud. "After all, he loves you so much and wouldn't want to hurt you."

Steph nodded in agreement. Ella was right. All she had to do was sit down and watch it. Perhaps Ella should be there. She handed it over and followed her into the lounge, sitting down on one of the sofas as Ella powered up the DVD player.

Whilst she waited for the machine to finish saying "hello" she popped into the kitchen and came back with two bottles of water and a large box of tissues, just in case, obviously.

The two women sat, holding hands on the sofa as Carlos came into view. He was sitting in his study, all bandaged up after the Scrog affair.

"Hi Steph, if you're watching this I'm either dead or I finally got up the courage to tell you how I feel about you. I hope it's the latter." Carlos smiled gently before continuing. "So, why tell you this way? Easy, I knew I'd get your undivided attention plus being round you tends to affect my ability to think straight. I once said I had the muscle but that you had all the power. It's true. I just hide my feelings for you better than you hide your reactions to me."

Steph looked at Ella and grinned, so much for ESP...

"You always thought I had ESP. Wrong! You're just the most amazing woman I've ever met. Strong of heart and mind, but also strong of facial expression. You literally wear your heart on your sleeve and it's one of the many things I love about you, Babe."

He looked down at his hands and Steph could see a wry smile spread across his face as he lifted his eyes back up to the camera. "Babe, I hope that I've made you as happy as you've made me and that I am as precious to you as I can promise you are to me. If I am dead I hope we got our someday and that I didn't waste too much time getting round to telling you much I really love you. In my own way, yes, but that's the only way I know. You brighten my day, my life, my heart and I hope that I have been able to tell you this. I hope you love me too."

He smiled again and Ella gently squeezed Steph's hand for reassurance.

"I'm waffling, I know, but I mean every word. You are my everything. Always have been, always will, Babe. You are the Batcave – wherever you are is where my heart lies. As I said once before it's not on any GPS system, that's because it's inside of you." He coughed as if slightly embarrassed.

"If I am dead and gone I hope I got to take you on the holiday I always promised myself I would organise for you. Montreal, London, Barbados, Singapore, Mumbai... the list of places I wanted to show you is so long. I also hope that I organised it for our honeymoon, Steph, and that you enjoyed it as much as I would have done, revisiting my past and sharing it with you. I hope you agreed to marry me and to have our children. I want nothing more than to be the centre of your and their lives." He smiled indulgently at the camera before taking a deep sigh.

"I built Rangeman with the help of my partners, Pierre Dupres who you know as Tank, my father Luis Manoso, General Harris who signed me up into the Rangers and Senator Brackley who is a long standing family friend. I am the major shareholder. I am proud of what we have achieved and hope that it has grown from strength to strength and that you have been a part of that growth. I'd like to think that you used your wonderful spirit to charm our clients into loving us even more. You're good at making people love you, Babe. I'm sure your spidey senses are helping us out too. If only I had half your uncanny ability to know when something's not quite right..."

He looked wistfully at the camera before continuing. "I know that if I am dead and gone, the business will be safe in your hands and so I am giving you all of my shares in Rangeman. 65% - which makes you a very wealthy woman. Why? Because I know you are up to the task of running it with my other partners who will come to love and respect you as I have. Please speak to my attorney for all my other business activities. Nearly everything I have is yours, including 11 properties and my boat. I do hope I've taken you to Miami to enjoy it. You might even enjoy the name too." He smiled again. "Julie has been well taken care of and will never want materially for anything – unless she manages to blow the $18 million I've set aside in a trust fund for her!" He looked a little pained as he made that joke. "I've also left a couple of little things for other people who I care about but it's all documented in my will."

Steph gasped and turned to look at Ella. Holy Cow, Batman!

"The code for my safe is b9a8b7e6, please go and investigate. I think you'll be surprised at what you find, including Binkie, my teddy bear...

o0o0o0o0o0o

The time was 9.32, Carlos had just finished updating Steph on his life history, his immediate and not so immediate family, the past that made him the man he was, the real reason he sent her back to Joe. The whole shooting match. Some of it had really made her laugh, some had made her understand him more. All of it made her heart ache with love.

"... so in conclusion, Babe, all that's left to say is that I give you everything that I am but most of all I give you my heart. Forever. No qualifiers. "

"Now, either make me the happiest man in the world and let me look after your heart too or if I am dead, move on. Please. Take the love that I send you through this message and live again someday with someone else. If I am dead, know that you made me a very happy man and that I will do all that I can to persuade the Dumpster God to give you better car karma." He flashed a huge smile and then the screen went black.

Steph sat with huge tears running down her face, dropping onto Ranger's t-shirt. It still smelt of him and wrapped her in his warmth.

After a few moments, Ella stood up, patted her on her arm and headed silently off to the kitchen. She returned moments later with a big tub of Ben and Jerry's and a spoon. "Don't worry, Dear. He'll be back, he's got so much to live for. How far along are you, by the way?"

Steph looked up blankly.

"How pregnant are you, Steph?" she asked again.

"How-how did you guess?"

"Easy, you glow." She smiled smugly before sitting down and producing another tub of ice cream and another spoon. The two women sat in companionable silence, thinking about what Ranger had just told them. He _had_ to come home, surely, now that he had another person to love. And _she_ had a wedding to prepare for.

_*here in the UK anyway! The original was tap it and unwrap it but as anyone who's ever tried it knows more brute force and ignorance is required and so the ad men realising this, decided humour was the better option and went for whack and unwrap instead_.


	37. Chapter 37

**Thanks for your wonderful feedback - I'm definitely addicted to your comments! Well, here we go again...**

Ranger crept forward assessing the damage Hector's bomb had done. Maximum impact, minimum effort. Well done, he thought robotically. Off to his left his partner in crime was creeping along the edge of the crumbling building, taking in exactly what had happened. Dead bodies littered the paths and broken walls. Between them they counted fourteen bodies but Taylor Nellson was not among them.

Damn!

Nellson's right hand man was there, well actually half of his right hand man was there. His twisted face stared up at Manoso with empty eyes. Ranger stepped over the body and moved forward. Silence filled the air, not even the sound of a bird or distant engine provided a back drop to the carnage. Shocked silence instead. Alongside the dust cloud that settled gently on the only two men still standing.

Ranger signalled to Hector who followed him into an empty outhouse where they sank to the floor behind a pillar.

"What now, Boss?" asked Hector.

"You need to go home, your job is done." Ranger said quietly, giving him a knowing look. He was releasing his friend and colleague from any obligation.

"Yeah, right!" snorted Hector softly. "Do you think I am stupid? Nellson will not rest until you and all that you hold dear are dead. Stephanie, Julie, your sisters..."

Ranger cut him off "that's why I need to get to him first. Hell, we've got rid of much of his power base, I need to find and neutralise him for good. Go home, back to your loved ones. Your mission here is over, Soldier." Ranger said, trying to dismiss him again.

"And miss all the fun?" Hector smiled "Any way, you and the rest of Rangeman _are_ my family. I have no one else. Tia Elisa died last year – I am the last." He looked off into the distance "Ranger, I need you to get home to Steph. I promised myself this would be my wedding gift to you. She needs you man, just as you need her. We finish this together, today."

Ranger stared at him, willing him to get the hell out of there. He wanted at least one of them to make it back.

"I owe you my life, I'm in your debt, Boss. I can't leave you in this lion's den to deal with this mess on your own." Hector continued. Ranger looked confused. "You saved me from the streets and gave me back my life. Without you I would most certainly be dead." Hector whispered. "I have a debt to repay and here and now is where I choose to do just that."

Ranger nodded his acceptance of Hector's intentions and they got up and crept away into the breaking dawn.

oo0o0o0o0o

Steph rolled over and looked at the clock as it chirpily informed her it was time to get up.

9.30am.

She glared a Burg Death Glare at it which it clearly ignored as it continued to fill the air with its vile cheerful tune. She sighed as she reached out and grabbed it, stuffing it under the edge of the mattress to finally shut it up. She knew Ella would find it later and return it to its usual spot so that it could annoy her again tomorrow morning. She almost smiled at the comments Ella would make under her breath as she put it where it belonged, but it was too early for humour so she just groaned instead.

She sighed again and rolled out of bed, which made her morning sickness wake up and take notice. She only just made it to the toilet in time. Ten minutes later she was in the shower and cleaning herself off. An hour later found her sitting in her kitchen gingerly nibbling toasted bagels with peanut butter plus fully loaded coffee complete with sugar and cream. Yuk! The coffee tasted terrible. Please don't tell me I'm going to hate coffee for the next few months, she thought grimly.

She looked at the paper that Ella had kindly brought up to her with her breakfast and noticed the date. It was Wednesday. She should be getting married in two days' time. Tonight was...her hen night! Oh My God! Mine and Lula's hen night, she gasped. What should she wear? Who was invited again? Was she even going to be a bride and therefore technically should she even be celebrating?

Whilst she was mid-panic, her phone rang. It was Valerie.

"Right, Steph, where are you at with your day? Are you decent enough to accept visitors?" Val barrelled out.

"Er..." replied Steph.

"Good... Bye!" Val said as she rang off.

Steph stared at the phone bemused at the conversation she'd just had with her sister and whilst she was contemplating their relationship the doorbell rang. The sound snapped her back to the here and now and she stood up to let the visitor in.

Sophia Manoso, Ellen Plum, Grandma Mazur and Val were standing on the other side, with various bags. They stepped in over the threshold and made a beeline for the lounge, pushing Steph out of the way as they went.

"Put the coffee machine on, please Steph" said Ellen as she sat down and proceeded to empty the bags she had with her all over the coffee table. The other ladies also emptied their bags and it wasn't long before there was a large pile of brightly coloured parcels piled up waiting to be opened.

Steph stood transfixed at the chaos that the girls had created, convinced Ranger would have a heart attack if he could see it. Before she had time to think any harder about what was going on, the door bell rang again and Lula barrelled in with Connie and Mary Lou in tow.

Fifteen minutes later and the whole wedding party was present, coffee cups loaded and read to go.

"Before we start looking at what you've bought to humiliate Lula and I with, I'd like to say a few words." Steph said, standing up. "first up, thanks so much for all your support for what I'm going through. I really appreciate it guys." She said, her eyes misting up slightly. She took a deep breath to calm herself and continued.

"Second, I won't be drinking tonight as I I'm pregnant..." the room exploded with shrieks of delight and it was several hugs and minutes later before Steph was allowed to continue. "Thirdly, tonight is about love. Between lots of special people. Tank and Lula and Carlos and I obviously, but also about the love surrounding us all. The love of parents, siblings, friends and lovers." She raised her mug of hot chocolate to the wonderful women sitting round the room. "Today we forget our worries and look to the future, full of love and hope. I expect everyone here to celebrate because we have so much to be thankful for." With that she raised her mug again. Everyone stood up and raised their own. "To us all" Steph said, everyone else softly repeating her words before taking a drink.

"Right, then ladies, do your worst" she said grinning as they all sat down. She was handed a dubious looking wrapped parcel the contents of which lived up to her expectations...

o0o0o0o0o0o

The parcels opened, Lula and Steph were adorned in a number of very dodgy looking accessories. Learner driver plates, a wedding veil covered in condoms and pink fairy wings for Steph. In addition to matching L-plates, Lula was wearing flashing pink breasts that sat snugly over her own and red devil horns. The other women present were all sporting t-shirts with pictures of Steph on one side and Lula on the other. Half wore Steph on the front the rest had Lula stretched over their boobs.

"Ok, ladies. Time to go" said Connie as she stood up and waved for everyone to follow her. Half an hour later found them sitting in the Clip n Curl having manicures. From nowhere a bottle of champagne appeared along with glasses and the ladies giggled their way through the afternoon.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Tank sat at his desk. He had ten minutes before his shift ended and he was free to attend his stag party. He was worried, very worried. He knew the guys were up to something by the furtive glances he'd been getting all morning. He ran his hand over his shiny bald head and tried to concentrate on the information on his screen. He blew out an exasperated sigh and gave up, closing down the document and then his computer. He turned to look out of the window. "Wherever you are, Ric, I'll be getting you back for skipping out and leaving me to the mercy of the guys." He sighed again and stood up to go to his fate.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Absolutely not!" roared Tank as he was handed a large paper carrier bag from which he pulled a pink frilly tutu skirt. He held the offending item up as if it was burning his hand before dropping it onto the floor.

Lester sniggered and picked it up. "Just your size as well. Come on big fella, you only get married once" he quipped as he tried to hold it up to Tank's frame.

Tank shoved him away crossly. His face showing exactly what he wanted to do to the pink multilayered garment.

"Oh, come on, Tank!" Bobby said, nodding to the other men standing in his apartment. En masse, they grabbed him and after a brief and half hearted protest from Tank managed to pin him down sufficiently to get the skirt over his legs and up to his waist.

Tank finally gave up as he knew he was outnumbered. He glared at his 'friends' "Fine" he growled, "but don't expect me to be happy about it." He huffed.

"It's ok, you're not alone" smiled Bobby as he briefly left the room, returning with a bag. Reaching in, he pulled out a pile of pale pink t-shirts. "One for you, Les" he said, throwing it at Santos who looked horrified "Ram, here's yours. Hal..."

Ten minutes later all those involved in the stag do were similarly clothed, the back of the t-shirts said "Tank's goin' down on Friday..." in big black letters under a photo of Lula.

"Right, boys. First stop. Go carting..." said Lester as he marched out of the apartment and into one of several taxis waiting outside Tank's apartment block.

o0o0o0o0o0o

"So, Steph, are you happy that you're pregnant? It's not the real reason you're engaged is it?" shouted Ellen over the pumping base of the music at Club Tequilla, looking a little concerned.

"No Mum. Carlos and I decided that we wanted a family straight away. I know you always wanted me to settle down and become a Mum, but when I was with Joe I just couldn't bring myself to think about parenthood. As soon as Carlos and I admitted our feelings something changed. Perhaps my body clock was partly to blame, but I also think that deep down I knew we were meant to be and that being parents would only add to that."

She looked deep into her mother's eyes trying to confirm how she felt. It must have worked because Ellen pulled her daughter into her arms and gave her a squeeze. "I'm glad you're pregnant, Sweetheart, and I hope Ranger gets a chance to come home and be part of our family."

Their heart to heart was rudely interrupted when a shriek loud enough to be heard over the music went up from Lula "You want me to do what!" She was looking at Connie with her best Rhino glare. The four cocktails she'd just consumed had done nothing to lessen her indignation. Connie was trying to explain the rules of sharking to her.

Steph and Ellen leaned over to find out what the fuss was about.

"I am not going to spend the evening trying to get men's underwear and that's final!" Lula hissed. "My Tankie would not be happy with that idea, no sirree" she stated emphatically.

Connie just laughed, shaking her head. "What's up?" Steph asked over the loud music.

"Connie is trying to get me to steal men's boxers and I ain't doin' it." Lula huffed as Connie sat giggling, the four cocktails she'd also consumed clearly lessening her inhibitions. "Well, I'm going to go sharking with or without you" she said emphatically as she stood up a little unsteadily before marching off in the direction of the toilet.

Steph glanced after her then movement in the corner of her eye stopped her. She looked in horror as Tank, Bobby, Lester, Zero, Ram, Cal and Hal plus a few men she'd never seen before walked in to the nightclub.

Damn! They wouldn't be able to flirt with any of the clientele of this fine establishment she thought. She looked closer and her eyes went wide as she stifled a grin then turned to Lula to point out what her friend's fiancé was wearing.


	38. Chapter 38

**Thanks for your wonderful reviews, they keep me going on what is quite a hard story to write.**

**WARNING This chapter is not for the easily offended. Contains allusions to rape.**

Joe looked over at the beautiful woman who slept by his side, peacefully with an innocent look on her angelic face. Ha! Innocent, my foot! He thought. After if the antics of the previous evening were anything to go by she was no innocent and boy oh boy, she was all his. Forever. And to think he'd only met up with her again two weeks ago!

He looked at her left hand, now sporting two rings. Ok, so one of them was a ring pull from a coke can, but the sentiment was there. They'd dared each other to drink those extra tequila shots and somewhere down the line they'd decided it was a good idea to get married. The Elvis impersonator was more than happy to oblige and they'd staggered out onto the main strip in Vegas half an hour later as man and wife. They'd only gone there for a long weekend, what a souvenir!

He looked at his own left hand which was now sporting a thin pink Disney Princess plaster. He grinned even though his head pounded. Boy, what a night!

She groaned slightly and he smirked to himself as he snuggled up against her sleeping form and gently caressed her shoulder. Willing her to wake up so he could show her how much he loved her again...

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Report!" whispered Ranger to the shadow as he reached his rendezvous point as agreed with Hector.

"The mighty Manoso!" sneered the smooth reply as Taylor Nellson slid out from under his rock and stalked towards him. "You're surrounded. I win and you die, painfully and slowly for what you've done to my brothers. "

Ranger mentally cursed but his blank face gave nothing away as he detected the presence of several men. All of whom were hidden. Where was Hector?

"Looks like your little friend upped and left you for me to play with" slicked out Nellson, his nasty, oily character seeping out from his clothing and contaminating the air around him.

Ranger felt a sharp sting on his neck then his world went black.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Manoso woke feeling colder than he'd done at any other point in this fucked up mission. He opened his eyes slightly to take in his surroundings. He was lying on his side in a puddle of mud, his knees were up against his chest and his ankles and arms were cuffed together. He was naked. Not good. Bit of an understatement he thought grimly.

A boot roughly kicked his scrotum hard and he grunted.

"Good, you're awake!" Nellson said, his boots coming into Ranger's view. "Now, the fun begins." He continued, squatting down on his heels. He grabbed Ranger's hair and pulled it up so that he was looking straight into his face. Nellson licked his lips, smiling. "You know, Manoso, I'm really going to enjoy fucking you and when I've finished, well, let's just say I have some car tyres and a can of petrol with your name on it." He ground Ranger's head down into the cold wet mud and moved round behind him.

Ranger closed his eyes and all he could think was that he had let his Babe down. He swallowed hard as he heard Nellson's zipper descend.

"Oh, and another thing, Manoso. Your bitch with the blue eyes? She's next." Nellson whispered in his ear as he settled himself over Ranger's back chuckling.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Hector looked on in horror. The love of his life was lying in a pile of mud, blood and shit. Through his ordeal he'd never moved or made a sound. How could such a sacred act be turned into something so wrong? He thought as he slunk back into the shadows watching Nellson calmly walk away talking to one of his men. The only outward sign of the savagery he'd inflicted was the mud on one of the knees of his trousers.

Hector sat back, biding his time. He was a patient man, much like his boss and he intended to finish the job Ranger'd started.

He knew what Nellson had planned for Ranger and knew that he had to get him out before they burned him to death in a ring of car tyres. Microondas was the given name for this style of execution. If he wasn't ready at the right moment. Ranger would not stand a chance. He pushed himself further into the wall and waited.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Tank spotted the Hen party and Steph could have sworn he blushed. He pulled at the top of his frilly skirt and pretended that he was cool with it. Behind him, she could see the other Merry Men, all smirking in their matching pale pink t-shirts.

Lula stood up in full Rhino mode, cocktail in hand and marched over to them, swaying slightly as she went, her boobs flashing in time to the music. Steph followed to see first hand what was going to happen. She was so pleased that she was sober, it made the whole thing even more amusing as she took in the clumsy, slowed down actions of her friend.

Lula flung herself into Tank's arms, sloshing her drink down his front "Who did this to you, Tankie?" she said, slurring slightly. "I'll sit on 'em so hard their fart will be heard in New York."

Lester giggled and looked surprised as Lula made a grab for him. She obviously thought he was behind Tank's outfit. "Santos, was it you?" she glared accusingly as she slapped him down to the floor and nearly succeeded in flattening him. He rolled away at the last moment and came to a stop behind Tank.

"Lula, Baby, s'k. I agreed to wear it. I only plan to do this once so I'm happy that my celebrations will be remembered. _And for the right reasons_..." he said pointedly. Desite his inebriated state, he knew a drunken brawl was not a good idea.

Lula stepped up into his space, grabbed him and proceeded to kiss the life out of him and the tension of the moment was gone. A hoot went up from the lads and minutes later the two parties had intermingled. Tables and chairs were dragged together and a new supply of drinks was ordered.

Steph sat towards the back of one of the tables, thinking about Ranger. The heavy thump of the music drowning out all other sound. Where was he? Was he OK? She knew he was still alive, she'd have felt it if he'd been dead, such was the connection that they had.

She looked at the dance floor and watched as Connie and Zero melted into each other. At last! She thought as she recalled the past few weeks when it had become obvious that they were interested in each other.

"You OK?, Steph" yelled Sophia, plopping herself down on the stool next to Steph and dropping her Mojito onto the table in front of her. It nearly spilled "oops!" she said and grinned lopsidedly.

"Yeah, fine" Steph replied, smiling at her mother-in-law. After the impromptu vows she'd exchanged with Carlos, she felt married anyway and Sophia was part of the package, so to speak. So, she didn't have a signature on an official document, but in her heart she was fully committed now.

Mary Lou came and sat down at her other side and the two women gave her a big hug.

"Come on, I've got some sharking to do" Steph yelled as she suddenly stood up. This was so not going to be a pity party. "So, what's the best way of getting a man to give me his underwear?" she asked loudly. They all giggled at the idea and went off in search of her first victim.

o0o0o0o0o0o

The evening was winding down as Ellen spotted Joe and a woman eating each other's faces on the other side of the dance floor. The two lovers broke apart and she smiled. Bethany Henderson! Or should she say Morelli? Angela had phoned her yesterday to tell her the news. Apparently they'd gone to Vegas and after several drinks they'd met up with Elvis and tied the knot. At least he wouldn't be chasing her daughter any more. She smiled to herself and made her way over to give them her congratulations.

Joe spotted her halfway across the dance floor and gave Bethany a squeeze. "Uh oh, here comes trouble" he said in her ear. Bethany looked at where he was facing and saw Ellen Plum. Steph's Mum! She grinned happily and opened her arms to her for a hug and the two women slid into a friendly embrace.

Ellen looked at Joe, smiling warmly "Seems like you got your happy ever after. I'm really pleased for you both. Didn't waste any time, I see" she said, pulling Bethany's hand up to admire the hardwear. A simple solitaire diamond sparkled happily back at her, despite the dim light, and a thin plain band of platinum nestled against its twin.

"Your mother told me" Ellen said by way of an explanation.

"Beats the original" Joe said, laughing. Ellen looked confused. "It was all so spur of the moment that Beth had a coke can ring pull for a wedding ring..." he looked a little embarrassed.

"Any Joe had a cute little Disney plaster!" Bethany giggled out. Ellen looked down to check that he'd replaced it with something a little more permanent and was pleased to see a slim gold band instead.

At that moment a breathless Steph barrelled over to her mother. "Jeesh" she whined out, unaware of who Ellen was with. "I can't get my head round this sharking business. I think Lula frightens her victims into submission. She's beating me hands down. I've only got one pair and she's got three." She said, holding up a pair of bright blue boxers.

She suddenly noticed who Ellen was standing next twith just as Mary Lou and Sophia caught up with her. Joe and Bethany looked on quizzically so the next few minutes were spent explaining what sharking was all about and how she'd come to own the blue clothing.

Joe noticed that Steph was sober and gave her a look "Anything you'd like to tell me?" he said, smiling. Hoping.

"Yeah, I'm pregnant. Only just though. Ranger doesn't even know" she said, her mood suddenly becoming sad.

"That's great!" Joe and Bethany said together, grinning at their timing "Not about the fact that Manoso doesn't know, though" Joe added quickly.

"Enough about me", Steph said, changing the subject quickly "what's new with you guys?"

Joe pulled Bethany into his side and held up her left hand with his own so that they could show off their shiny new rings.

"That's brilliant guys" Steph said, dancing up and down. Even if she didn't all of her happy ending. Four of the most important people in her life were getting theirs.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph jerked upright on her bed, snapped awake by her dream. It seemed too real and she stifled a sob as she recounted it.

_She was lying on her bed, dazzling white light all around her, in the back ground she could hear voices._

"_She __has__ to choose. She can't have it all." Said a deep angry male voice._

"_Why not?" came the insistent reply of a lighter female voice. "It's not as if we've ever given her what she's wanted in the past. We make her park as far away from her apartment as possible because Hades thinks it's funny." She snapped. "We make sure she's always filthy and a laughing stock. Hell, we've even made her allergic to exercise just in case she decides to get serious and start training. I still think that that's a bit extreme."_

_Steph suddenly realised why she hated exercise. The voices broke into her thoughts again._

"_Why can't she have everything her heart desires, Manoso, the baby and her pet? Three men in her life is not too much to ask for is it? After all, we've given her the family and friend base from hell and she still loves them all. Surely she deserves some happiness."_

"_Look, Selene, it's not my decision to make. Hades has his reasons and we need to make her decide who she's prepared to give up. The man, the baby or the hamster."_

_"That__'s Carlos, Spud and Rex to you..." Steph ground out loudly. _

_The voices moved nearer. "Good, she's awake." The man said reaching down and grabbing her hand roughly so that he could pull her to a sitting position._

_He looked into her frightened eyes "Stephanie Michelle Plum, you have to decide. Who are you prepared to lose for the sake of the others?" Somehow his gaze pinned her to the spot and all coherent thought left her._

_"Stop it__, Hermes! You're frightening her." Selene said, turning to the man at her side. "Steph, you need to decide who gets to live." Selene said, more gently. "The baby, his father or your Hamster. You can only have two of the three..."_

Sweat stuck to her body as she screamed out in fear as she finished recounting the dream. She got up quickly and checked in the kitchen. Rex was happily running his nightly marathon.

What had she done? She held her belly, hoping that her child was still growing deep inside her. It even had a name now, Spud, where the hell had that come from?

Ranger! Had she sacrificed him so that her baby and her hamster could live? She slid down to the floor and sobbed, rubbing her still flat stomach. What had she done? Was it all a dream? Did the Gods really exist?

She was still lying there the next morning when Rangeman received a call from New York.


	39. The End

**Thank you so much for your comments and suggestions throughout this story. Glad the 'English' rather than 'American' English I've used hasn't put you off (I did it on purpose - sorry, I'm twisted like that) Anyway, it only leaves me to finish up.**

;o)

  
Just a few seconds more, just a few seconds more...

Hector smiled to himself as he looked down at the scene that enfolded below him. Ranger was naked and tied to a pillar, several tyres had been stacked up around him and lent against his now filthy body. Nellson was holding a canister of something, kerosene probably and Hector could hear him clearly.

"Not in control now, eh? Manoso" he smirked as he taunted the once proud man. "Normally I shoot traitors to my cause, but as you've given me so much 'pleasure' in the last few hours, well, let's just say I'm determined to hear you scream. Oh, and you will." He leaned forward and grabbed Ranger's balls, squeezing them hard. Carlos pulled against the ropes that bound him but he was tied fast, now if he just had a few more minutes he thought as he twisted his wrists this way and that to loosen them.

Nellson laughed as he watched his captive strain against his bonds.

Ranger glared at him, his blank face firmly in place. He was not going to give Nellson the satisfaction of knowing how scared he really was.

"Perhaps I should keep these as a souvenir of our 'love making'" he said, squeezing him again. He licked his lips and let go as he began to stroke the front of his trousers. He stepped back, his erection clearly visible. "Now, there's a thought," he said then went to reach something out of his pocket.

"Time to go Boss" one of his henchmen yelled from the corner of the building. Nellson looked disappointed but went back to the job at hand and lifted the canister, pouring its contents over Ranger and the tyres. "So long, _Carlos_" he said as he finished emptying the liquid over Ranger's head, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a box of matches.

Hector smiled to himself. Payback can be such a bitch he thought. Nellson and his bunch of cronies were so going down! This little enclave of hate, evil and despair will be gone forever any second...

NOW!

And then the bomb went off...

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Fuck!" roared Lester as he slammed the phone down and hit the desk with his fist. Today was Friday and it had all gone to hell in a hand basket before he'd even finished his first cup of coffee. Today was supposed to be a day of celebration, not mourning. The loss of a brother was always a hard thing to accept. He stood up and took a deep breath. He needed to find Bobby and he needed to find him now.

He stalked out of his office and went in search of the medic.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Lula woke up and grinned as she stretched out, staring at the ceiling. Today she was going to get married to her Tankie. She sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. Sadness flitted across her face as she thought of how today was supposed to be a joint celebration. It didn't look like that was going to happen and a single tear fell from her eye as she thought back to the conversation she'd had with Steph late the previous night.

"_Lula, please don't be sad. Tomorrow you're getting married. I don't want anything other than that thought to go through your head. I know we thought we'd have a joint celebration of love, but as I said last night I have so much to be thankful for." She looked down and patted her stomach gently before continuing. "Even if Carlos and I never get our happy ending, you will. I won't have that my bad luck spoils your day." She looked deep into Lula's eyes, willing her to understand how important it was that Lula celebrate rather than be sad tomorrow. Why had they agreed to a joint wedding? Thought Steph. I've only gone and ruined Lula's Big Day._

"_No you haven't White Girl" Lula said, pulling her friend into a very large bear hug._

"_I said that out loud, didn't I?" _

"_Yo Girl, you did" Lula replied. _

_They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Steph pulled away. She took a big gulp of air as she squared her shoulders. "Right, I'm off upstairs. You need your beauty sleep. You've an important day ahead of you tomorrow." She said as she went to walk out of 4H and off to 7. "Just answer one question for me, please." She said turning back to look at Lula. "How the hell did you manage to get 4 four pairs of boxers when I only managed the one?"_

_Lula smiled "You really wanna know?" Steph nodded "I had 'em in my handbag from the beginning" She let out a large snort and fell about laughing._

"_So, I won!" said Steph, the realisation that she'd been tricked washing over her._

"_Yeah, guess so" laughed Lula who was now doubled over and gasping._

_Steph smiled, shook her head and walked out the door._

o0o0o0o0o0o

"Where the fuck is everyone?" Lester groaned out in frustration. He couldn't find Bobby anywhere and he knew he couldn't talk to anyone else until he had.

Then it hit him. Duh, the roof, of course!" he thought as he raced up the stairs.

He almost tumbled as he raced through the door and out onto the terrace where he found a hive of activity. Tables and chairs were being set up and Ella was directing a whole pile of Merry Men who were moving furniture, fairy lights and storm lanterns into position. The food, cake and drink would be brought up later, once the heat of the afternoon sun had passed.

Lester spotted Bobby and made a beeline for him.

"Bro, we need to talk, NOW" he said quietly, catching Bobby's arm as he gave him a knowing look.

Bobby gave him a quizzical one in reply that soon changed to concern as he realised that Lester had news for him and it didn't look good. "Bad news?" he asked in hushed tones so that no one else could hear. Lester nodded and pulled on his arm again. They waved to Ella to indicate they had to leave and walked away and down the stairs, heads together in deep conversation.

She gave them a questioning stare. Oh, please no! She thought as she waved to acknowledge their leaving. She'd find out soon enough but judging by the look on Santos' face he didn't come bearing glad tidings. She closed her eyes and let out a silent prayer. Please bring my nephew back to me. Please don't let it be too late she screamed out to her Lord and Maker before turning back to the job in hand. Whatever the outcome, the Fates had cast their dice. Lula and Tank deserved to have a good day and she would move heaven and earth and a table or two so that they would.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Ellen and Edna rushed into the kitchen where the sound was coming from to find Steph curled up in a ball, hugging her belly and sobbing.

"Steph? Steph? What's the matter, where does it hurt?" Ellen said, rushing to her side and kneeling down to study the fragile mess that was her daughter. Concern etched into her face.

"Oh, Mum..." she managed to sob out before reaching out to her collapsing in her arms.

"Mum! Go find Bobby, please" Ellen said, wrapping her arms round Steph and giving her own mother a look of concern. She surreptitiously looked her over to see if physically she was ok. There was no blood on her clothing so it didn't look like the pregnancy had failed. Thank God! She thought as she crossed that off the list.

Steph stopped hiccupping long enough to explain her nightmare. "Shhh, sweetheart! It's only a dream. Look, Rex is asleep in his can, you're still carrying your baby and Ranger is still out there somewhere, doing what he does best. Have faith" she said as she hoped that she wasn't going to need enough faith for the both of them.

"Spud" Steph sniffed out. "My baby boy is called Spud. Until his father returns to help me choose his name." She looked up at her mother, hoping she would understand.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Hector sprinted down from his lofty position, firing his semi automatics as he ran. He took out all of the men who'd been left standing by the bomb, including Nellson. The son of a bitch had finally been dispatched to his Maker. The Devil was going to be busy with bookings today, he thought as he raced over towards Ranger. Part of the debris from the bomb had landed on the canister Nellson had dropped and it had caught fire. The flames were now licking the floor and heading rapidly in Manoso's direction. Ranger was frantically struggling against his bindings in a bid to free himself before they reached him.

Hector got to him just as the first tyre exploded in a ball of flame, but by then Ranger was free of the rope that moments earlier had been holding him. He escaped with minor burns to his arms and legs.

A single gun shot echoed round the room as one of Nellson's injured men collapsed from the effort of firing it. Hector turned and fired in reply and the man now lay still, he too would be booking into Hotel Diablo for all eternity.

Ranger staggered away from the heat and the smell of the now fiercely burning tyres and into Hector's arms. The two men quickly fled the scene.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Lula stood in front of the mirror with Connie and Mary Lou fixing her hair and make-up. The dress she would be wearing later was hanging on the door. She looked up at her two friends, smiling.

"Seen anything of Steph, yet?" She asked.

The two women sadly shook their heads.

Lula raised her glass of champagne "to absent friends" she said before taking a gulp. "To absent friends" they repeated before silently toasting the unnamed man who would have made the day perfect.

"Right!" Lula said as she pushed her shoulders back. "White girl told me I had to enjoy today and she's right. Life is for the livin' and I got lots to do. I won't say that it's right to continue without Ranger, but she made me promise that I would enjoy my day. So, here's to the Manoso's" she added taking another larg gulp.

"The Manoso's" came the reply before all three women set about perfecting Lula's ringlets.

o0o0o0o0o0o

They stopped briefly so that Ranger could grab a corpse and rip off the dead man's clothes. The trousers were too big for him but they would do until they reached safety. He scrambled around in the man's coat pocket and pulled out his phone. He rapidly dialled the number for back up and spoke quietly and efficiently to the voice at the other end. Receiving instructions he nodded briefly then snapped it shut. He pulled out the sim card from the back and swallowed it before throwing the phone down on the floor and stamping it into oblivion.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Hector was bent over, doubled in pain. He put his arm round his shoulders and carefully pulled him away and into the streets. No-one would even notice them in this part of the Bronx. Just another couple of homeless bums, lost to drugs and alcohol.

They needed to find relative safety so that Ranger could assess his friend.

A couple of minutes later they turned a corner and Ranger felt it safe to stop. Hector had gotten heavier and heavier and slower and slower so that by the time they stopped he was almost immobile with pain. His face was lined and sweat laced his brow. Ranger was worried by his laboured breathing. He slid him gently to the floor and silently gasped at what he saw. Hector had taken a bullet through the back that had obviously hit lots of internal organs on its journey. Blood was seeping from the bullet's escape route so although it had missed a major blood vessel it had obviously wreaked havoc.

"Where does it hurt, My Friend?" Ranger asked gently, knowing that he was losing Hector.

"Everywhere and nowhere, but my heart feels it the most, Amante" came the reply.

Ranger looked at his friend in surprise.

"Did you not know how I felt about you, Carlos?" Hector whispered, barely able to speak with the pain.

Ranger shook his head slowly, brushing his hair out of his eyes and behind his ears as he looked down at the man who'd taken a bullet for him today.

"You saved me in so many ways and I've loved you for it ever since I realised what you'd done for me. Not once have you ever treated me differently from the rest of the team. Never once have you belittled me or made me feel like a freak. Let's face it, not many gay men live long in our industry." He started to chuckle but instead it turned into a cough, bringing up blood. "Go home Ranger. Steph needs you. Tell her how you feel and don't ever let her go. Do this for me? Please?"

Ranger could see Hector was fading fast.

"I promise" he replied as he slowly pressed a tender kiss to Hector's lips.

"Thank you." Said Hector, tears forming in his eyes. He gave one last gasp and then his light was gone.

Carlos bent down and gently lifted the dead man up, cradling him in his arms and shifting to accommodate his weight.

He was going home. Despite all the odds he would soon be with his Babe. This was his last mission and somehow he'd survived. He looked down at the man in his arms who looked peaceful in death. He brushed a kiss across his brow. "You will not be forgotten, my friend" he promised as walked to the rendezvous point.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Ellen opened the bedroom door to Edna, Lester and Bobby. "Mum, I asked for Bobby, not the whole team!" she spat out in hushed tones, staring at Edna, looking rapidly from Lester to Bobby and back again.

"We need to speak to Steph, we have some news." Lester said "and it's mostly good but unfortunately Hector didn't make it."

Ellen clapped her hands softly in delight and let them into the room.

"Steph, Sweetie. It's Lester, he's got some good news for you" she chose her words carefully, Steph needed to know she had nothing to feel from the Merry Men.

Steph looked up from the bed and locked eyes with Lester. "He's coming home, Beautiful. He's coming home."

**Well, I hope the wait was worth it..**

Love from Sarah xxx


	40. One year late  the epilogue

**One year later.**

Steph stood on the balcony of her home at Point Pleasant and looked out over the beach and towards the sea before settling on the activity just off the decking area. A large canopy had been erected and several people were filling it with flowers and furniture. She felt Ranger's presence behind her and then his arms snaked their way round her back and around her waist. She leant her head slightly to the side and he kissed her neck gently and pulling her further into him. She let out a soft sigh of contentment as she leant back and she felt him smile against her shoulder.

365 days after Tank and Lula tied the knot, they were finally getting married. Tank and Lula would be renewing their vows so that they got their joint celebration after all. Same time, same date, just a different venue.

A small snuffling sound made them both turn to look at a crib that stood in the corner of the light and airy bedroom behind them.

Hector Scott Manoso wriggled in his sleep then let out a slight mewing noise.

"Sounds like someone will be waking up for a feed soon" Ranger said, nuzzling Steph's neck again. She smiled as she turned in his arms.

"I do hope so, otherwise I'll not fit into my dress." She looked down pointedly at her full breasts.

She kissed him tenderly then shooed him out to join the other men who would be getting ready for the afternoon's nuptials, before bending over the cot to pick up her now waking son.

"Hey Spud, time for Mummy to get some relief" she whispered as she sat in her nursing chair and rearranged her top to accommodate him.

As she watched him drink from her, she thought about all that had happened in the last year.

...

Soon after hearing the news that Carlos was OK, Steph calmed down enough to start getting ready for the afternoon's ceremony. The Powers That Be even bent a little as in theory it should have been their wedding day so Carlos was allowed to call her. They'd talked for over an hour about something and nothing, both just relieved that they would soon be reunited. She wanted to tell him in person about Spud so kept that piece of news to herself. When he did finally get home he told her how they'd had to physically restrain him to prevent him from leaving. She'd chuckled as she thought about what they'd had to do to stop him.

Tank and Lula's 6 0'clock wedding had been magical and filled with love and hope. Lula had looked radiant and Tank dazed. The delicate lights dripping from the gazebo had given an almost ethereal feel to the occasion as the guests all stood to watch the intimate ceremony.

Steph hadn't worn her wedding dress. She didn't think it appropriate, so instead she wore a floor length gown in the same colour as the bridesmaids. Julie held her hand all the way through the ceremony and they'd cried together when Lula and Tank exchanged their vows. They weren't the only ones either.

Afterwards the speeches had been fun – Lester had taken Ranger's place as Best Man and had spilled the beans on a couple of embarrassing moments from Tank's past, much to his horror and the guests' amusement.

Steph stood up and made a few comments about Lula, her eccentric friendship and how she'd kept Steph sane in the last few weeks.

Frank told everyone of how proud he was to be one of the people sharing the rooftop celebrations. Family didn't always just consist of blood relatives, he'd explained. Rangeman had proved that and he felt honoured to be a part of the select club in which he found himself – its members being those who surrounded him . He hugged Ellen and Steph to him as he toasted his audience with tears in his eyes.

Ranger had dictated a short message to Steph which she'd read out, apologising for his appalling timing and that he would be back soon to kick them all into shape. That raised a chuckle from all quarters.

Then they held a minute's silence for their fallen comrade.

Two weeks later Ranger was allowed home. It had taken that long to debrief him and tend his mental and physical wounds to the point that he was he declared fit enough to be let loose. Bobby was to look after his burns and a trained psychologist would look after the rest.

_Steph was in the bath so didn't hear the locks tumble. She felt his presence and smiled as she lazed in the hot soapy water, grinning in anticipation. She smelt his unique aroma next and finally she saw him as he casually sauntered into the bathroom before leaning up against the wall and studying her naked silhouette beneath the bubbles. His eyes turned deepest black and his face showed her just how much he missed her._

"_See something you like?" she asked, looking up at him through her lashes and playfully batting the bubbles around._

_Ranger growled as he pushed himself up off the wall "move over and let me show you" he said._

_Within seconds he was naked and sliding in behind her in the tub._

"_Be careful, my love" she whispered as he started to kiss and caress her shoulders "we wouldn't want to hurt the baby." She felt his lips turn up into a smile and then she knew everything would work out just fine._

They'd spent the next week offline so that they could celebrate his return in private. They shared their deepest feelings, hopes and desires and made some fundamental decisions. He didn't want her to ever get hurt in her line of work so she agreed to get fitter and learn to use her gun. She didn't like that he internalised his emotions so he agreed to open up and share more with her. They even agreed how much more time they would spend with their respective families and how best to incorporate Julie into their lives.

Hector was buried by his friends in Trenton and the funeral was a calm, loving and gentle affair. His will stated that he wanted everything to go to Ranger which came as a surprise to everyone except Ranger and Steph as he'd told her what Hector had said in his final minutes. They decided to use his money to create a drop in centre in his memory for young people wanting to escape the ghettos. So far several of the kids who'd attended had just signed up to join the army or gone back to school and a few of the other kids were now drug free.

Six months ago Angela Morelli had departed this world from a heart attack. Seems like years of cream, butter, cakes and pastries were not the best diet after all. On the back of that Steph decided her own eating habits needed to change once the baby was born, not a difficult thing to do as Spud didn't like coffee, chocolate, rich food, gravy...

Rex also died mid year from old age, nothing more.

Joe and Bethany were happily settled in a house they'd bought together in New York. Neither regretted their quickie wedding. Kids were in their five year plan, but still a way off in the future. Go figure that Joe had always wanted them whereas Steph hadn't and look what had happened.

Connie and Zero were still together and had moved into their own place a couple of months ago.

o0o0o0o0o0o

Steph shifted Hector to her other breast and closed her eyes. Content in the knowledge that her world was complete. After tonight she would be Mrs Ricardo Carlos Manoso and then everything would be just right. They'd planned an extended honeymoon and for five months they discovered the world that Carlos had been shaped by.

Steph looked over at the dress hanging on the door waiting for her. It had been perfect a year ago and was even more so now that her life had so much more in it than it had back then.

**Hope you enjoyed this story. In JE's world Hector was gay, for those who queried why I made him so here.**

**Please give me your thoughts – it makes my day. :0)**


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